Globally, every year 17 April is observed as the International Day of Peasants’ Struggle by La Via Campesina

Nirmesh Singh
New Delhi. 16 April 2020

Demanding a bailout package of Rs 1.5 Lakh crores for farmers to overcome setbacks in farm sector due to COVID 19 pandemic, Bharatiya Kisan Union will observe April 17 as International Farmers Day.

BKU Spokesperson Rakesh Tikait has urged farmers to stand outside their homes at 5 pm on April 17 and share their photos and videos of cleaning farm equipments with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, respective Chief Ministers and the social media.

He said, “Even during the COVID 19 pandemic, it is the farmer who is ensuring food to people around the world. Government should thank farmers for their role and ensure security to farmers.”

Rakesh Tikait said, “The BKU is demanding a comprehensive package of Rs 1.5 lakh crore for farmers. It wants employment under MGNREGA for farmers and a Rs 1,000 benefit for agricultural labourer.”

Globally, every year 17 April is observed as the International Day of Peasants’ Struggle by La Via Campesina. La Via Campesina is an international movement of small, medium and landless farmers, migrants and agricultural workers from around the world and was founded in 1993, Mons, Belgium at a time when agricultural policies and agribusinesses were becoming globalized and small farmers needed to develop a common vision and struggle to defend it. The movement defends peasant agriculture for food sovereignty and strongly opposes corporate driven agriculture.

Today, La Via Campesina comprises 182 local and national organisations in 81 countries from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas and represents about 200 million farmers.

In India, La Via Campesina was started in 1998 by BKU and Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha.