Yoga is unity, unity is justice.
In our weekly kundalini yoga and meditation classes, we recite mantras in Punjabi, originating from Sikhism and the Gurmukhi scripts in the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. In deep gratitude for the sacred sounds and their demographic roots and origins, we stand in solidarity and support with the Indian farmers, the kisaans.
For more than a month now, we have been following the protest taking place in India with over 250 million estimated participants travelling towards Delhi, making it the largest organised protest in human history. The Indian farmers (kisaan), of which millions are Punjabi Sikh, are protesting the new Indian agricultural bills which would privatize agriculture, devastate food security and justice, increase inequalities in the sector, and unravel the roots of Sikh sovereignty. India is one of the largest exporter of agricultural products such as tea, cashew, jute, cotton, fruits, vegetables, wheat, ginger, chili, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, and pepper. Critics point out that the laws, that are justified by Prime Minister Modi by promising more freedom for farmers, may end up hurting especially small and poor farmers, who form 80% of the sector and 23% of those who already live below the poverty line.
Some resources to look into for more information and channels through which help in the form of on-ground volunteer help & seva can be extended: Sahita,
The Punjab map made by one of its most exported agricultural products, wheat. Photography by @gur.simran
