New Delhi: A number of farmers’ organisations, including Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), its non-political breakaway faction and All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) have announced nationwide protests on February 12 alleging the proposed interim India-US trade agreement framework amounted to a “total surrender” of Indian agriculture to American multinational corporations. They also demanded immediate resignation of commerce minister Piyush Goyal.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the SKM leaders vowed village-level protests, effigy burnings of Trump and Modi, and support for the February 12 general strike. “The framework rejects Piyush Goyal’s claims that agriculture and dairy are off-limits in FTAs,” the statement said, alleging market flooding by US items like dried distillers’ grains, red sorghum for animal feed, and soybean oil.
All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) leader Krishna Prasad was quoted by news agency PTI as saying the trade deal will have a deep impact on the agriculture sector by opening the market for items like dried distillers’ grains, red sorghum for animal feed and soybean oil, and also claimed it would impact the dairy sector.
He said the deals with the US and the European Union (EU) were being done to benefit their “stagnant” economies and are not beneficial to India.
Activist Sunilam said the issue should be debated in Parliament.
Krantikari Kisan Union (Punjab) leader Darshan Pal said members of the outfit would burn effigies of Trump and Modi in protest. He said the deal will further impact farmers who are already facing low incomes and are unable to pay their loans.
Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said people in the villages are questioning how the deals will impact them. He called upon farmers to join the protest against the deals.
“The framework is an abject rejection of the claim of the commerce minister Piyush Goyal that the agriculture and dairy sectors are out of the Free Trade Agreements and the Government of India will not make any compromise on the interests of agriculture,” the SKM statement said.
