Farmer Protests in New Delhi

Pictured above: India protest 2020. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia.

By Aditi Parashar ’22 

Staff Writer

Tens of thousands of farmers from around India made their way to New Delhi 11 days ago, cutting off almost all entry points into the capital, according to The New York Times. The Dilli Chalo (“Let’s go to Delhi”) march is a protest against three agricultural bills passed in September 2020 that aim to make changes to the farming system and threaten the way 146 million farmers in India do business. According to the BBC, the protesters arriving in Delhi were accosted with water cannons, tear gas and violence by many paramilitary and police forces who tried to hold them back. 

The reforms would change key aspects of how produce is sold, priced and stored. The new policies would replace the Mandi system in which the government heavily regulates the prices at which agricultural products can be sold. While the Indian government claims that these reforms are necessary to salvage the agriculture industry, many of those employed by the industry —  40 percent of the workforce — quickly began to protest the changes. 

The government has said that the new regulations will provide opportunities for farmers, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling it a “watershed moment.” He also said that the new laws provide farmers more autonomy to set their own prices as well as to sell directly to private businesses, reported CNN. 

The farmers, however, remain adamant that the new laws are anti-farmer and pro-corporation by subjecting the farmers to the free market from which they have been protected for decades. 

Mewa Singh, one of the many protesters, told The New York Times, “Our land is our mother. It was passed on to us from our parents, who got it from their parents, and now Modi wants to acquire it and give it away to his rich friends.”

According to the Indian Express, the protesters want the government to either repeal their newly passed legislation or guarantee farmers a minimum support price for their crops by passing new legislation. 

The minimum support price is one of the biggest support structures to farming in India. It aims to set a guaranteed minimum price for commodities by farmers no matter the market conditions, which protects the community from fluctuations in price and imperfections in the market.  

Economists as well as agricultural experts have shown support for the farmers’ demand for a minimum assured price mechanism. Devinder Sharma, an independent agricultural expert, told The New York Times, “There is no evidence in the world where the market price has benefited farmers.”

Additionally, farmers believe that the new laws “will open agricultural sale and marketing outside the notified Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis for farmers, remove the barriers to inter-state trade, and provide a framework for electronic trading of agricultural produce,” according to the Indian Express. However, since state governments will be unable to procure market fees outside of the APMC market systems, farmers are afraid that this will end the current system, leaving them at the mercy of corporations that are then free to exploit them and their production capabilities. 

Many critics are apprehensive about how formal contractual obligations will work in the public arena due to the unorganized nature of the agriculture sector. Critics fear that farmers will be locked into contracts out of necessity and face a lack of resources for legal proceedings with major private corporations, found The Hindu. 

“I don’t believe anyone is buying the idea that these bills exist to help the farmers,” Kusha Chopra ’21 said. “The farmers are smart and know that the bills have been passed in Parliament to fill the never-ending greed of our dear prime minister’s friends. To leave an already complicated sector which sees so many suicides due to debt and unemployment at the hands of large corporations and [at the] behest of the free market is openly careless and foolish.”

Since the farmers have arrived in Delhi, there have been a series of talks between them and the government. As of Dec. 9, no resolution has been reached. 

“I think it is extremely sad, not only the way the farmers are having to fight for their livelihood in a country that thrives because of them, but also the way the government and its lapdog media has tried to discredit their hardships and movement,” Shreya Nair ’22, a Mount Holyoke student from India, said. “To call peaceful protesters, who are the reason you have food on your table, terrorists and anti-national on national television has [been] a new low, even for our sell-out media outlets,” Nair added.

The protesting farmers now have huge camps around Delhi’s border and are prepared to stay. They said they will not leave before the government repeals the “black law,” reported the BBC. The protesters say they are “prepared for a long battle — with trolleys full of rice and grains, and pots and pans to cook their own food,” the BBC continued.

Presidential Impeachment in Peru

By Aditi Parashar ’22

Staff Writer

On Nov. 9, Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra was impeached by the country’s Congress following allegations of bribery during his time as governor, reported Reuters. The Congress, which is dominated by opposition members, was led by Manuel Merino, and marks their second attempt since May to oust Vizcarra. Merino,  a member of the center-right Popular Action Party who had been Congress’ head, was interim president from Nov. 10 to Nov. 15, when he resigned, reported The Guardian. Peru has now found its third president in the span of a week in Francisco Sagasti. 

The impeachment of Vizcarra, a popular centrist leader with widespread public support due to his anti-corruption reforms, brings political turmoil to Peru at a time when the nation is trying to recover from one of the worst economic recessions it has ever seen, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Al-Jazeera reports that Vizcarra rejected the accusations of corruption as  “baseless” and “false.” However, he did not challenge the decision and stated he was willing to respond to any criminal charges. 

In various cities across the country, Peruvians took to the streets in thousands following Vizcarra’s impeachment, setting off some of the largest protests the country has seen in decades, according to Reuters. Sonia Julca, an economist from the University of Callao, cited the reason for protests as, “The people are against this government led by Merino.” Protesters were found shouting slogans and carrying signs reading “Merino, you are not my president” and “Merino impostor.” Al-Jazeera found that many of the protesters waved signs that accused Congress of carrying out a coup. 

While the protests started out in a peaceful manner, by nightfall there were police clashes, leading to the deaths of two young protesters and the injury of dozens more, reported Reuters.

“I ask Mr. Merino to evaluate his immediate resignation,” said President Congress Luis Valdez after an emergency Congress session, reported Al-Jazeera. The National Assembly of Peru has also released a statement asking for Merino’s resignation, claiming that he was “politically responsible for the acts of violence.”

Following the violence with the police, all of the Cabinet ministers announced their resignations. Soon after, Merino himself resigned after only five days in power. 

Clarissa Gomez, one of many on the streets celebrating Merino’s resignation, told Reuters, “Merino has resigned because his hands are stained with blood, with the blood of our children.” 

“Merino’s resignation will be good for the turmoil Peru has seen in the last week. However, people will still not have complete confidence in Congress just yet, and a democracy cannot exist at its prime without the people believing in it. The new president has his work cut out for him,” Shanze Hasan ’21, an international relations major, said. 

After Merino’s abrupt resignation, the legislature of Peru elected Sagasti to be the new interim president. Sagasti is an industrial engineer by profession and a “member of the only political party that voted against the ousting of popular former president Martín Vizcarra a week ago,” The Guardian reported. 

Soon after his swearing-in, Sagasti said, “It is absolutely necessary to remain calm, but do not confuse this with passivity, conformity or resignation.” According to Al-Jazeera, he also paid respects to the two men who had died in the protests as a result of police brutality, saying, “We can’t bring them back to life but we can stop this from happening again.” He has also said that he is willing to include ministers from Vizcarra’s government in his Cabinet. 

Amman Syed ’22, an economics major, noted the importance of Sagasti’s willingness to include members of Vizcarra’s Cabinet. “Vizcarra’s Cabinet had star Finance Minister María Antonieta Alva. Her handling of … COVID-19 during this time of recession has been a major factor in keeping Peru from being worse off. I hope Sagasti sees that the recession Peru is facing needs someone like her to steer them in the right direction,” Syed said.

England Locks Down To Prevent ‘Medical and Moral Disaster’

Pictured above: Big Ben in London, England. Photo courtesy of WikiMedia.

By Sophie Soloway ’23 and Aditi Parashar ’22  

Global Editor & Staff Writer

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Oct. 31 that England will be going into its second national lockdown to help limit the spread of COVID-19. The lockdown began on Nov. 5 and is set to end on Dec. 2. According to the BBC, England had 21,915 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Oct. 31, bringing the total since the beginning of the pandemic to 1,011,660.

In his press conference, Johnson announced that the second national lockdown was the only way England could prevent a “medical and moral disaster” for the British National Health Service, reported the BBC. 

Johnson also said “no responsible prime minister” could ignore figures that suggested deaths would reach “several thousand a day,” with a “‘peak of mortality’ worse than the country saw in April.” Without the lockdown in place, members of the NHS would have been forced to choose which patients would live and which would die, Johnson said. 

This lockdown is similar to Britain’s first national lockdown in the spring, with spaces like pubs, restaurants, gyms and nonessential shops closing for four weeks. People have also been asked to work from home if their jobs allow. However, unlike in the spring, educational institutions like schools, colleges and universities are allowed to stay open during this lockdown. 

Leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer supported the second lockdown while emphasizing the fact that this is a decision the Tory government “should have taken weeks ago.” The Labour Party had been pushing for a shorter lockdown weeks earlier to no avail, reported The New York Times. 

The Print, an Indian publication, reported that Johnson was resisting introducing nationwide restrictions, even with growing pressure. Johnson cited “disastrous” consequences for the U.K.’s finances, calling it the “nuclear” option and instead suggesting a three-tiered system targeting local areas in England before announcing the new lockdown.

Shanze Hasan ’21, an international relations major, said, “While the second lockdown is important to reduce the burgeoning number of coronavirus cases, the delay due to the Johnson government’s resistance will mean a longer lockdown to counteract the rise in cases England has seen recently.”

The second lockdown also has economic implications. According to The New York Times, even in the spring lockdown, Britain was much slower than its neighbors in shutting down its economy, which led to the lockdown lasting longer than initially intended. It also saw one of the worst second quarter recessions in Europe. Many opposition leaders and economists believe this delayed lockdown is the government making the same mistake again. 

Amman Syed ’22, an economics major, said, “The projected unemployment peak numbers have gone up and economic growth has gone down. However, a lockdown in any country would see the same results. What the U.K. needs to do is focus on how long they continue to supplement loss of income so that when the economy opens up again, the jolt to the economy is not massive.” 

The U.K. is not the only country in Europe with rising cases. According to NBC News, Germany and France have both documented record numbers of daily COVID-19 cases within the past week. Italy, one of the countries worst hit by the pandemic in its early stages, has also placed new restrictions on citizens in an effort to curb rising cases. 

The New York Times reported that the Czech Republic, Belgium, Hungary and Poland have also seen a steady increase in hospitalizations, placing Europe’s hospitals at a shortage of healthcare providers and supplies. As the U.K. enters its new lockdown, many of its neighboring countries must contend with very similar realities. 

International Students Reflect on Module 1

By Aditi Parashar ’22

Staff Writer 

Through time zone differences and the demands of the new module system, international students have had a vastly different start to their school year than domestic students. After finishing the module system on Oct. 15, some international students reflected on the challenges they faced these past seven-and-a-half weeks. 

Saachi Khandpur ’22 was recently quoted in an article for HuffPost India as saying, “I am choosing between whether I want to follow a normal schedule, not feeling sick and getting some quality time with my family or if I want to be able to participate at my optimal potential in class, and it is a hard choice.” As a junior politics and psychology double major, attending three classes that go past midnight has taken a toll on Khandpur’s health, both physically and mentally. 

In addition, many countries around the world do not have consistent access to electricity and the internet. This is an added challenge to remote learning as all resources and social connections to Mount Holyoke are now available almost exclusively online. On Sept. 17, the North American Association of Indian Students’ Instagram page posted a statement from Kusha Chopra ’21. “Office hours, TA hours and extra resources for students are available only during the night,” Chopra stated. “It is not like [international] students can sleep all day as individuals have chores, internships and some even have jobs. It further exacerbates the resource inequality due to the different time zones and distance.” 

The differences in time zones have an additional disparate impact on international students’ social lives. While many clubs and organizations on campus have continued to hold meetings in an effort to build and maintain community, these meetings tend to be held in Eastern Standard Time, making them inaccessible to those in different time zones. In the same HuffPost India article published Sept. 18, Khandpur elaborated, “I am part of the FAMILIA, an LGBTQ+ and people of colour organisation on campus. It was my family away from home and that’s one community I miss a lot. Now that I am home, that is something I miss talking about. One of the clubs emailed me that they are meeting today [Sept. 18], but they are meeting at 3 AM, and I don’t know if I should stay up.”

International students are also not eligible for student employment this semester. Many jobs on campus, despite functioning in an online space, are still not available for international students. The Opening the Gates FAQ page states, “If you work remotely for MHC while living in another country, MHC is subject to all of the employment laws of that country. Employment laws vary widely from country to country. Mount Holyoke is not able to comply with all of the laws and regulations required to lawfully employ students living in various international locations.” 

Amman Syed ’22 said, “There has been no clarity from the [College] administration as to whether or not we will have the jobs we were selected for once we are back on campus. Since we were not eligible, they had to give these jobs to domestic students or students within the United States; however, what happens when I go back? Will I have the job that I not only qualify for but also was selected for, or not?”

The International Student Organizing Committee recently held a dialogue titled “FIT Module? Or Not?” In their discussion, the attendees suggested that the administration improve the FIT model to emphasize the need to listen to student voices with more transparency in the decision-making process.

Extrajudicial Killing in Mozambique Leads To Mass Controversy

By Aditi Parashar ’22

Staff Writer

Content Warning: This article describes graphic violence and firearm use.

A recent video of a woman being shot at by men in military uniform sparked outrage in Mozambique after it was circulated widely on social media throughout the week of Sept. 14. The video shows a naked woman being beaten by sticks on a countryside road. She is then shot over 30 times. The video ends with one of the men making a victory sign and saying in Portuguese, “We've just killed Al-Shabaab,” which is the jihadi group operating in the region. 

The government of Mozambique condemned the act and claimed the violence was meted out by jihadi troops impersonating military personnel rather than the military itself. The insurgents in the region have done this in the past, according to the BBC. The government has promised to carry out an investigation of the “horrifying” video, reports Africanews. 

Interior Minister Amade Miquidade said, “The macabre acts that have been publicized are actions of subversion aimed at pitting the people against the forces that protect them. There is no relationship between those images with the defense and security forces.”

However, Amnesty International noted that the men in the video were wearing Mozambique Armed Defense Force uniforms, making them appear as if they were possible members of the FADM. They have also shed light on additional details. They claim the events in the video took place on Sept. 7 in the town of Awasse in the Cabo Delgado province. Amnesty International, while asking for a thorough investigation to be carried out, stated that the killing demonstrates “a repeated and unrelenting pattern of crimes being committed by the Mozambican armed forces.”

These allegations come amid heightened scrutiny on the Mozambican army after Amnesty International published a report claiming that the army was carrying out human rights violations in the region, such as executing civilians and dumping bodies into mass graves. These allegations came after it received video footage and photographs from its sources in the country. 

David Matsinhe, the Lusophone regional researcher for Southern Africa at Amnesty International, told AllAfrica, “People on the ground have been sending us numerous complaints of such violations since 2017. It just hasn't been in the spotlight.”

Africanews reported that the military forces have been fighting to take back control in northern Cabo Delgado since the extremist insurgency began three years ago. This province is one of Africa’s biggest liquefied natural gas projects, which makes it essential to the region. The rising violence in the area poses a threat to the billion-dollar investments by international firms for the development of gas projects. Al-Shabaab has escalated the violence since the beginning of the year, when a bid to establish an Islamist caliphate in the area was set forth. 

“Although the region is naturally rich in natural resources, the story is not the same for social markers such as employment and literacy rates, which remain incredibly low,” said Maha Ahmed ’21, an international relations major. “Additionally, foreign investments imply that the cheapest labor must be hired. This has a direct impact on the youth of the area who are then denied access to jobs that essentially exist to exploit the resources of their very land.”

“I think you can see the frustrations of unemployed youth who have been denied opportunities in the ongoing conflict in the region,” Ahmed continued.  

The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project estimates that since the militants have carried out continuous attacks on the region’s towns and villages, more than 1,500 people have been killed while 250,000 have been displaced. Additionally, the total number of fatalities on either side stands at 1,854. Human Rights Watch reports that no one has been held to account for any of these abuses.

Professor of Africana Studies and Economics Lucas Wilson said, “There is no population more vulnerable, more dependent on respect for rights and dignity by those in authority than a population of incarcerated people. Based on the information I’ve read, the guards should face charges in Mozambique and in an international criminal court. I’m sorry this has happened and attention and care is needed to restore trust throughout society.” 

Refugee Camp Burns Down in Greece; Who's to Blame?

By Aditi Parashar ’22

Staff Writer

A large blaze on Sept. 8 destroyed the Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, leaving over 12,000 of its residents with nowhere to go. There were no casualties reported. 

According to The New York Times, aid workers, activists and officials claimed the fire was started intentionally, following protests over prolonged lockdown measures after 35 residents tested positive for coronavirus. Four unnamed migrant men have been formally charged with arson. 

However, many have also blamed the Greek government and the European Union for the disaster. As Eva Cossé, lead researcher in Greece for Human Rights Watch, told The New York Times, “This fire was expected. It’s a testament to the European Union’s negligence and Greece’s negligence.” According to German media outlet Deutsche Welle, the Moria camp was housing four times more migrants than its intended maximum capacity. Human Rights Watch reported that refugees were living in cramped conditions in overcrowded tents with limited food, water, sanitation and health care resources.  

Moria was established in 2015 in order to address the refugee crisis after 850,000 refugees and migrants hoping to travel to safety in northern Europe made their way from Turkey by boat. These refugees passed through the camps quickly when the European attitude toward refugees was more tolerant, reported The New York Times. However, since those initial days, the island of Lesbos has hosted an additional 300,000 refugees. 

The refugees have gone through traumatic experiences, fleeing persecution and war-torn countries. They now live in squalid conditions for long stretches of time, sometimes for as long as two years. In this time, they must often go through bureaucratic asylum formalities before either being sent home or allowed to move on to seek permanent asylum in northern Europe. 

“Before, I thought that Greece would be one of the best places to live,” Mr. Ashrafi, a 34-year old Afghan refugee with three daughters, told The New York Times. “Now I feel it would have been better to drown while crossing the sea.”

Some say the increased time spent in these camps is due to Europe’s inability to reach any long-term solutions to the crisis. European countries have continued to block borders, and leaders have continued to disagree on the number of refugees each country should take while providing Greece with funds to care for the refugee population. “Moria has been considered an emblem of Europe’s hardening approach to migrants in the aftermath of the 2015 crisis,” The New York Times reported.

Mickiyah Pope ’23, a politics major at Mount Holyoke, said, “For politicians to continue to behave in such an unplanned manner in the face of a humanitarian crisis — which is no way new — is truly disheartening. Politicians have the ability to do great good if they come together and truly understand the suffering of these refugees, instead of trying to pass the sole responsibility to their neighbor.”

While the European Union continues to figure out the way forward for the stranded migrants, Human Rights Watch reported that 406 unaccompanied children have been flown to mainland Greece to be relocated to other EU countries or placed in long-term shelter facilities in Greece. Countries like Germany, France and the Netherlands have also agreed to take in some number of unaccompanied children. Additionally, on Sept. 15, Germany said it plans to relocate another 1,553 refugees from Greece. 

Middle Eastern news network Al-Jazeera reported that many refugees have been moved to a temporary facility at Kara Tepe with the goal of all 12,000 being housed there by Sept. 20.  However, according to Refugee Support Aegean, a local nonprofit organization, conditions in Kara Tepe fail to meet the minimum standards of dignified living under Greek and international laws.

The Indian publication The Hindu reported the discontent among the residents of Moria on being moved to new refugee facilities. Many protested before being moved to the new facility with chants of “freedom” and “no camp,”  along with signs saying “We don't want to go to a hell like Moria again” and “Can you hear us Mrs. Merkel?” Numerous refugees see the new housing situation as continued neglect, reported Al-Jazeera. 

Rehat Thussu ’23, an international relations major at Mount Holyoke, stated, “The crisis is an issue that isn’t going away anytime soon. If countries consistently fail to respond to this crisis, that too in accordance with international human rights law, we will soon face another crisis: the loss of our humanity and our morals.”