Washington: Amid alleged international propaganda to defame the Narendra Modi government over ongoing farmers’ protest, the US Administration of President Joe Biden has said that it welcomes steps that would improve the efficiency of India’s markets and attract greater private sector investment.
The White House also stated that it acknowledges that peaceful protests are a hallmark of a thriving democracy.
What did the State Department say?
The State Department, while responding to a question on the ongoing farmers’ protests in India, said the US encourages that any differences between the parties be resolved through dialogue. It further indicated that the new Joe Biden Administration is supportive of the Indian government’s move to reform the agricultural sector that attracts private investment and greater market access to farmers. A State Department spokesperson said, “In general, the United States welcomes steps that would improve the efficiency of India’s markets and attract greater private sector investment”.
“We recognise that peaceful protests are a hallmark of any thriving democracy and note that the Indian Supreme Court has stated the same,” the official said.
MEA rejects international propaganda to defame India
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi issued a statement emphasising that the farmers’ protests must be seen in the context of India’s democratic ethos and polity. The MEA, in its statement, said some vested interest groups have tried to mobilise international support against the country.
It also highlighted that the Parliament of India had passed “reformist legislation” for the agricultural sector, which “a very small section of farmers” have some reservations about and therefore the laws have been kept on hold while talks are held.
The comments from MEA came after several international celebrities, including several American lawmakers, came out in support of the farmers’ protests in India. “I am concerned by the reported actions against peaceful demonstrators protesting new agricultural reform laws in India,” Congresswoman Haley Stevens said.
In a statement, she encouraged the Indian government and representatives of the protesting farmers to engage in productive discussions. “I will continue to monitor this situation closely. It has been particularly valuable to engage with stakeholders across the district on this topic and I remain appreciative to all who have reached out to share their perspective,” Stevens said. Another Congresswoman, Ilhan Omar, expressed solidarity with all the farmers protesting for their livelihood across India.
“India must protect their basic democratic rights, allow for the free flow of information, reinstate internet access and release all the journalists detained for covering the protests,” she wrote on Twitter.
Remarks by foreign celebrities ‘ill-informed and unwarranted’: MEA
India has called the remarks by foreign leaders and organisations on protests by farmers as “ill-informed” and “unwarranted“, asserting that the matter pertains to the internal affairs of a democratic country. “Before rushing to comment on such matters, we would urge that the facts be ascertained, and a proper understanding of the issues at hand be undertaken.
“The temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible,” the MEA statement said following some high-profile celebrities tweeting over the agitation by the farmers.
Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping at several Delhi border points since November last year, demanding the government to repeal the three farm laws and legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.
Defending the three contentious farm laws, the MEA said, “these reforms gave expanded market access and provided greater flexibility to farmers. They also pave the way for economically and ecologically sustainable farming.”
Recently, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said India’s new farm laws have the “potential to represent a significant step forward” for reforms in the agriculture sector.
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