“Demonstration in support of the Indian farmers struggle and protesting Indian PM Modi's arrival in Scotland in George Square today. Excellent contributions all round. We also met a few of our SLP comrades from south of the border a couple of whom were speakers at the rally.”.
James McDaid, SLP Scotland and Bhagwant Singh, SLP West Midlands at COP26 in Glasgow
“We are here demonstrating in solidarity with Indian farmers fighting in defence of historical rights, for dignity and for the right to provide food for the people and a decent standard of living for their families and communities against a reactionary government intent in selling out to the highest bidder amongst the band of transnational agribusiness pirates interested only in maximising private profit. We in SLP Scotland are proud to be here to sho support for that struggle.
We are in George Square, Glasgow on the eve of COP26. Look around you, George Square is a square of ornate buildings, buildings built on the backs and misery of cheap and slave labour from around the British empire, an empire renowned as one on which the “sun never set”! But also one on which the blood never dried. Look at the statues around the square, Titans of British imperialism, slave owners and murderers of millions. Concurrently with that story is the story of mass working class deprivation and poverty in this same city, deaths again of untold numbers from malnutrition and preventable disease. These things are fact.
But there is another story of this place, great anti-imperialists spoke to great demonstrations here in George Square, Paul Robeson, Oliver Tambo, Nelson Mandela and others. This square seen an insurrection in 1919 that then Home Secretary Winston Churchill sent tanks and troops to suppress. We here now are standing in that tradition.
The elites worldwide are intent in turning back the clock to the days of empire and colonial exploitation, of the subjugation of working people, of super exploitation and meaningful democracy. The Indian farmers fight is a national struggle to defend rights but it is also an international fight against the transnational corporations intent on maximum exploitation and profit at all our expense. We are proud to stand in solidarity with Indian farmers. Victory to your struggle.”.
James McDaid SLP Scotland 1/11/2021
