Farmers Protest Against India-US Trade Deal: Farmers protest against India-US trade deal! Mahapanchayat at Kisan Ghat in Delhi; Know why the country’s food providers are scared

After protesting against the agricultural laws, farmer organizations across the country are once again preparing to take to the streets. This time the main reason for the anger of the farmers is the proposed trade deal between India and America (India-US Trade Deal). Various farmer organizations including Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) have opened a front against this agreement. Farmer leaders Gurnam Singh Chaduni, Sarwan Singh Pandher and other farmer representatives have termed the deal as a ‘death warrant’ for Indian agriculture and animal husbandry. In protest against this, a huge ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ has been called at Kisan Ghat in Delhi, due to which security arrangements have been tightened on the borders of Delhi-NCR. From a reporter’s point of view, this protest is not just politics, but a serious issue related to the livelihood of 80 crore agriculture-dependent citizens of the country.

After all, why are farmers opposing the India-America trade deal?

Farmer leaders and agriculture experts argue that a free trade agreement (FTA) with the US or granting of agri-dairy concessions will hugely hurt the Indian market:

• Big threat to dairy sector: America provides heavy government subsidies to its dairy industry (milk, cheese, butter). If American dairy products are allowed to enter the Indian market without/reduced import duty, India’s small and medium milk producing farmers (herders associated with cooperatives like Amul) will be devastated.

• Import of GM Crops and Poultry: The arrival of American corn, soybean and poultry products (chicken) in the Indian market at low prices will bring down the prices of crops of local farmers.

• Impact on MSP and government subsidy: The World Trade Organization (WTO) and the US have been continuously opposing the MSP (minimum support price) and fertilizer-electricity subsidies given by India. Farmers fear that the government may cut subsidies under the pressure of the trade deal.

Mahapanchayat and warning of agitation at Kisan Ghat

Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan are marching towards Delhi:

1. Farmer leaders roar: Farmer leaders say that they will not allow the country’s agricultural sector to be auctioned to foreign corporate companies at any cost.

2. Widespread Movement Warning: If the Central Government does not step back on this trade deal, then the historic Kisan Andolan like 2020-21 will be started again all around Delhi.