American Sikhs gave a big boost to the Indian farmers’ ongoing fight to win justice against dire laws brought in by the rightwing Narendra Modi government by airing a Super Bowl commercial featuring the plight of the farmers. “The three laws are really going to change agriculture in India. The way they have been practicing agriculture, the corporate world is really going to be coming to the small farmers” said Gurpreet Mann with Sikh Institute Fresno.

FRESNO, California – American Sikhs gave a big boost to the Indian farmers’ ongoing fight to win justice against dire laws brought in by the rightwing Narendra Modi government by airing a Super Bowl commercial featuring the plight of the farmers.

If you watched the Super Bowl Sunday, you may have noticed an Advertisement bringing attention to new agricultural laws in India.

The commercial was funded by the Central Valley Sikh community in California in an effort to raise awareness about the issue which has sparked deadly protests across the country.

For members of the large Sikh population in the Central Valley, the issue hits home despite being thousands of miles away.

“It really does affect families who have land there in a very intimate way. We either have family farming land or we’ve leased out our land,” said Raj Sodhi-Layne.

Kulvir Sekhon is one of many who still owns land and has family in India.

“We are not just concerned about our land only, we are concerned about our people, people who live there who have to put up with those laws which they don’t want to,” said Sekhon.

In a video, now shared around the world, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer joined celebrities, activists, and politicians in standing in solidarity with the Indian Farmers.

“I’m going to continue to fight for what is right because this is unfair, it’s oppressive and we are going to fight for the people in our community as well as those people in India,” said Dyer.

Rep. David Valadao (R- Handford) also released a video Sunday in solidarity, saying the Indian Farmers have a right to peacefully protest.

For months, tens of thousands of Indian Farmers have protested three new agricultural laws passed by the Indian Government, which they say will drive modernization. The farmers protesting the laws fear they will leave them poorer and at the mercy of large corporations.

The ongoing protests have turned violent, with more than 150 people killed and media and internet access cut off.