By: Debottam Saha, Kranthi Nanduri & Raya Das (All authors contributed equally, names of the authors appear in alphabetical order) On January 26, 2021, the people of India celebrated the 72nd anniversary of their republic and constitution. Every year on this day, the President of India unfurls the national flag amidst a spectacular parade by…
Category: Insights from the ground
Reflections and opinion pieces on current issues and debates from the ground.
Peasant politics, criminal persecution and authoritarianism in Colombia
Resisting in the mountains in Mexico: using territory and self-determination to resist COVID-19
Mexico is a diverse country and as such, each region is coping with COVID19 in different ways with the resources they have. Today, I will describe the coping mechanisms of my hometown, Tamazulapam Mixe, a little indigenous community located in the mountains of “Sierra Norte” in Oaxaca, Mexico. Many people know us as ‘the never…
At Crossroads? Covid-19, State and The Peasantry: The Zimbabwean Case
On 30 March 2020 Zimbabwe, a country of 14.3 million people, the government responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by imposing a mandatory lockdown for 21 days. This mandatory lockdown movement was only restricted to essential service providers; health care, security services and agriculture were designated as part of the essential services. Two days later the…
The COVID-19 pandemic and complex effects on farmers and food-supply chains: an early dispatch from India.
R. Venkat Ramanujam and Amit John Kurien Agriculture’s contribution to the Indian economy is critical and complex. It contributes 16% of India’s GDP but supports between 50-60% of the labour force and up to 70% of all rural households (see a quick overview here). Livelihoods in agriculture have been stressed for some time now due…