Lessons from Global Democratic Resistance Webinar – Mobilizing for Protest in India: Lessons from the Anti-CAA and Farmers' Movements
Lessons from Global Democratic Resistance is a public panel series that brings together frontline activists, civic leaders, institutional actors, and field‑informed scholars to examine how democratic actors have resisted and responded to democratic backsliding across countries.
The series aims to identify practical lessons and comparative insights for those defending democracy today and is organized in collaboration among the Kellogg Institute, the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University, the Cornell Center on Global Democracy; Perry World House at the University of Pennsylvania; the Democratic Futures Project at the University of Virginia; Stanford’s Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law; and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Hosted by: The University of Pennsylvania's Perry World House
You can find the panel description and registration link here.
Speakers
- Mandeep Punia - An independent freelance journalist. With over a decade of experience he brings a deeply informed perspective on rural India, press freedom, and the challenges of independent journalism. His reportage has been published in leading outlets including The Caravan, Newslaundry, Outlook, The Wire, and Down To Earth. While reporting on the 2020–2021 Indian farmers’ protests from the Singhu border, he was arrested by Delhi Police and spent time in Tihar Jail, where he continued documenting the experiences of protesting farmers. His work during the movement was featured in an Al Jazeera documentary.
- Gurpreet Singh Sangha - Lives in Rajasthan, near the border of Punjab and Haryana. After beginning his career in the private sector, including work in Singapore, the Middle East, and Europe, he returned to India in 2009 and became involved with NGOs and cooperative movements in Rajasthan, Punjab, Maharashtra, and other regions. When the three farm bills were introduced in June 2020, he took a leading role in organizing and coordinating the dozens of farmer unions and organizations involved in the protest. He continues his activism on behalf of farmers in India.
- Natasha Narwal - Feminist activist and PhD researcher studying carcerality in contemporary India. Narwal has participated in various student movements in Delhi in the last two decades and has been an active member of the women student collective Pinjratod. Narwal was charged and incarcerated for participation in the anti-CAA movement and spent 13 months in Tihar Women’s Jail before being released on bail.