Farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and other states gathered at Kishan Ghat in Delhi on 21st July under "Desh Bachao Morcha" to oppose the India-US trade deal.
The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher has confirmed this. Giving permission to allow cheap agricultural product imports to India in the India-US trade deal will be very dangerous for the farmers, including agricultural labourers, small traders, livestock rearers, and the country’s agricultural economy. Their serious concern behind taking this step is that they fear the cheap American imports will hurt the small farmers. This happened after a large protest by the Cockroach Janta Party yesterday, which added to the ongoing unrest and tensions in Delhi.
The farmers requested the government to take action as soon as possible and cancel the proposed trade agreement for the sake of the farmers and the common people. They even carried out motorcycle marches to protest against the deal.
The leader, Sarwan Singh, also fears that this proposed agreement will not only be limited to a few products but may also cover dairy, industry, digital trade, government procurement, e-commerce, even intellectual property rights and the service sector.
Heavy barricades were set up at the Punjab-Haryana border. The Haryana Police blocked the routes and stopped the farmer leader before the planned protest. The police stopped several farmer groups too from entering.
Though the agreement has not been signed yet, the farmers are worried that the ongoing trade talks might lead India to decrease import taxes on agricultural products from the United States. They also fear that this could make it difficult for Indian farmers to compete because American farmers receive large government subsidies, which in turn allows them to sell their products at lower prices.
On the other hand, the Indian government has assured that agriculture is a top priority in the trade negotiations and also said that it will not sign any agreement that could be bad for India’s interests or can adversely affect the country’s farmers.
The deal, the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), is meant to increase trade and investment between India and the United States; it reduces import taxes & other trade barriers, which also makes it easier for businesses to grow. Many discussions happened about manufacturing, services, digital trade & market access. But the biggest issue is negotiations; the latest conversation ended without any agreement because India did not agree to weaken its stand on protecting its agriculture sector & also wanted assurance & confirmation that the United States would not introduce new tariffs once the deal is implemented.
However, Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that India will sign the agreement only if it is fair, commercially beneficial & also protects the interests of both businesses, farmers, workers & people in both India & the US.
But according to the farmers, the reason for the protest is that they do not want to wait because they fear that once India agrees to reduce import taxes or open its markets under a trade agreement, it will be very difficult to change or reverse those decisions later. It will then simply lower the prices of local crops & reducing the farmers’ income. The Farmer leaders also said that US farmers have an advantage as they have huge farms & also receive higher government subsidies, whereas the Indian farmers have small farms of two – three acres and unfortunately, they get less financial support.
The products might include dried distillers’ grains(which are used as animal feed), rice, poultry, etc. Though the government has not confirmed it yet. However, farmer leader Sarwan Singh also said that the United States has been seeking broader access to India’s agriculture & dairy markets for a long time. So they are literally worried.
Perhaps people think that citizens, mainly the farmers,s are uneducated and can offer them just anything at a cheap rate and in bulk quantity, and they will not understand anything about the quality and all, and they would be very happy with just the quantity. Thinking farmers are weak and also thinking that just by offering anything to the farmers without complete and appropriate knowledge of any proposal or deal, they would easily accept it without thinking about the possible consequences is a mistake. The farmers know their rights; they know they have to fight for the people, for the country.
Also, many people know that adulteration in milk and other food products, and keeping in stock and supplying products that have already expired, are common nowadays. Selling cheap, low-quality food products (including milk and other dairy products which are baby foods) is now known to all. At least the farmers don’t have any hidden agendas; they are not protesting for their self-interest and greed but for the people, for their good health, and only the good health of a person determines their future life and ultimately the country’s bright future.
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