US Trade Deal a Death Knell for Agriculture; Kisan Sabha Calls for Prolonged Protest

New Delhi: The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has warned that the India-US trade agreement, which is in its final stages, poses a serious threat to Indian agriculture. The farmers’ organisation accused the Modi government of endangering farmers’ livelihoods by yielding to American interests.

The RSS-BJP-led central government would go to any extent to please its imperialist masters, AIKS said. It added that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit and his reported discussions with Indian officials to finalise the trade agreement reflected this approach.

The BJP government was echoing what AIKS described as Rubio’s imperialist doctrine that the national interests of the US and India were identical, thereby continuing its alleged legacy of serving imperialism during the freedom struggle, the organisation said. It also alleged that negotiations were progressing without Parliament being informed of the details of the agreement.

Rubio had publicly stated that permission for American dairy products to be exported to India was the final obstacle to the deal, AIKS said. Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal had also publicly confirmed that the trade agreement was in the final stages of legal drafting.

AIKS has repeatedly stressed the need for an urgent restructuring of Indian agriculture, the organisation said, accusing the Centre of moving in the opposite direction by surrendering to imperialist interests. It alleged that the government was rushing to sign what it described as a document of subjugation.

As the kharif soybean harvest began, the government reduced the basic import duty on soybean and palm oil from 10 per cent to five per cent. Duties on refined oils were also reduced. According to AIKS, these measures would deal a major blow to domestic farmers.

Indian soybean farmers would be unable to compete with industrial-scale farmers in the US who receive substantial subsidies, the organisation said. It warned that US demands for concessions in this sector would seriously affect major soybean-producing states, including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Karnataka.

Opening India's dairy market to American products without restrictions would threaten the daily incomes of lakhs of dairy farmers, AIKS said. It argued that heavily subsidised foreign producers would be able to sell their products at prices below local procurement rates, severely affecting farmers' earnings.

Farmers growing maize, cotton, jowar, almonds, walnuts and apples would also face difficulties, the organisation warned.

AIKS said concessions to the US would strengthen corporate dominance in Indian agriculture. It warned that the Modi government would face a strong protest movement if it proceeded with what the organisation described as an anti-national and anti-farmer trade agreement.

Calling for all sections to prepare for a prolonged struggle against what it termed surrender to US imperialism, AIKS urged farmers to participate in the Samyukta Kisan Morcha's (SKM) march in Delhi on October 23 against alleged electoral manipulation.