Stir reaches foreign soil, NRIs seek revocation of Acts

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, October 14

Non-Resident Indians (NRI) have come out in support of farmers and are staging protests on the foreign soil against the three farm laws. The protests have been held in Canada, Italy, USA, UK and France.

A few days ago, a ‘kisan march’ was held from Dashmesh Darbar Gurdwara to Holland Park at the Surrey City Centre in British Columbia, Canada, in which NRIs from the Punjabi community lashed out at the Modi government for “targeting” farmers during the Covid pandemic.

Similarly, a rally was held in Toronto on October 11. The protesters rode motorcycles, cars and trucks and held placards and flags against the farm laws. The rally started from Gurdwara Guru Nanak Mission Centre, Brampton. It passed through Ontario Khalsa Darbar at Mississauga and ended at Sikh Spiritual Centre in Toronto. The protesters stated that they were fighting for their rights, respect and freedom.

A demonstration was held in Calgary too, where the participants raised slogans against the Union Government over passing the three Bills. They demanded that the laws be revoked at the earliest.

In France, NRIs raised ‘Kisan Bachao-Punjab Bachao’ slogans and also questioned the Modi-led NDA government over passing the Bills.

Even in California, Punjabis held a protest outside the Indian consulate in San Francisco on October 4. Similarly, at Milan in Italy, Punjabis organised a march and announced that if the farm laws were not revoked, they would hold a protest outside the UN office in the coming days. At a ‘kisan rally’ organised in west London in solidarity with the farmers, the NRIs announced widespread protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi if the laws were not repealed. Rajwinder Singh from Vancouver in Canada said: “I came to Canada five years ago and have land in Punjab. I feel the farm laws have been passed to crush the small farmers, so there is need for everyone to come out and support the farming community.”