India #FarmersProtest: Tractors and Telegram

Macon and Walter talk with people on the front lines of the world's largest protest taking place in the world's largest democracy. Why are India's farmers protesting? How are they organizing? How is the government responding? And what does this mean for India and for U.S. policymakers?

Guests in this episode include:

Kiran Vissa, a national working group member of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee, one of the national platforms coordinating the farmers’ protests.Shruti Chaturvedi, journalist and founder of Chaaipani.com, a media platform that brings awareness to people working to solve hard problems.Ruben Mascarenhas, the national joint secretary of the Aam Aadmi Party, a (relatively) new anti-corruption, populist Indian political party.Neeraj Shetye, a Mumbai-based public policy researcher.

Special thanks to Deep Singh who provided us with background information for this episode. Deep is the executive director of the Jakara Movement, which has been organizing protests in the United States in solidarity with the farmers in India.

For additional reading about the protests, check out these links:

The Farmers' Protests Are a Turning Point for India's Democracy—and the World Can No Longer Ignore ThatIndia cuts internet around New Delhi as protesting farmers clash with policeIndian Court Grants Bail to Activist Arrested Over Farmers’ Protests