Support for Indian farmers is growing abroad. Naturally, the pressure is mounting on the Modi government.
Seven influential US lawmakers, including Indo-US Congresswoman Pramila Jaipal, have called on the Indian foreign secretary to raise concerns about the ongoing peasant movement in India. The request was made in a letter to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
However, New Delhi has already claimed that the farmers' protest is an internal matter of India. Foreign Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava claimed that no other country's unwanted intervention would be accepted in the case.
In a December 23 letter to Pompeo, the lawmaker said, "The Sikh Americans in Punjab are concerned about the ongoing peasant protests in India. In this situation, our plea is to raise the issue with the Indian Foreign Secretary as soon as possible to strengthen the United States' commitment to freedom of expression abroad.
This is not the first time that earlier this month, Congressmen Jim Costa and Shelia Jackson-Lee have written to the Indian envoy in support of the protesting farmers. Government efforts to suppress the peasant movement were also opposed.
Democrat U.S. lawmaker David Tron called on the Indian government to talk to farmers and demand a solution. He also sought the mediation of the Supreme Court in this case.
