Upset because the genetically modified cotton seeds they bought from Monsanto failed to germinate even after a second sowing, farmers from the Indian village of Karanji located a visiting Monsanto official and took him to their fields, to show him the desperate situation they were in.
When the official refused to admit anything was wrong with his company’s seeds and acted as though the empty fields were filled with healthy cotton plants, the farmers picked up their torches and pitchforks (figuratively speaking) and went medieval his ass. Which is awesome!
Before you say that violence is never a good answer, consider their situation for a second. What else could those people have done? File a complaint? Sue the company? Calmly explain to the Monsanto guy for the 100th time that because of his product their families won’t be able to afford food? Nothing would have happened if they would have done any of those things. At least this way they got some satisfaction, and the Monsanto official has learned that lying through his teeth only works in conference rooms, not in the fields. Which is more than any diplomatic talk would have achieved.
If all the recent wars and African riots have taught us anything, it’s that if violence isn’t solving your problems you’re clearly not using enough. So I hope this isn’t the last Monsanto official to get beaten, or else the desperate message of these farmers will be lost.
