Farmers warn govt against trade pact with US, reduction of import duties

Ludhiana: A group of 31 farmers' organisations under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) held a mahapanchayat at Samrala to celebrate the cancellation of the land-pooling policy, which they termed a major victory for farmers. During the gathering, the organisations issued a strong warning to the government, cautioning it against yielding to pressure from US President Donald Trump over additional tariffs and entering into a free trade agreement with the US. They said such a move could trigger a massive public uprising across the country.A large number of workers from farmer and labour organisations across Punjab attended the mahapanchayat. In the massive gathering, SKM passed several key resolutions and warned of an intensified struggle against what it described as the "anti-farmer policies" of both the Centre and the Punjab govt.Farmer leaders alleged that the Modi government is preparing to enter a tax-free trade agreement with the US, and cautioned that if sectors like agriculture, dairy, and fisheries are included in the deal, lakhs of farmers across the country under SKM's leadership will launch a nationwide movement in protest.They also announced a determined campaign against policies aimed at forcibly acquiring farmers' lands and handing them over to corporate houses, vowing to resist such moves with a 'tough fight'.Balbir Singh Rajewal, leader of the SKM, claimed in his address that the Modi govt has bowed down before America and is ready to hand over the country's agriculture sector to foreign countries by signing a tax-free trade agreement. He said that on Independence Day, the Prime Minister announced from the Red Fort that he would not bow down to Trump's tariff threats and would always stand as a strong wall between America and the people of the country.The leader alleged that after four days, this wall 'collapsed' and the Modi govt "reduced the duty on cotton imports by 11% on Aug 19, drowning the farmers cultivating cotton in the country". He claimed that as soon as the govt reduced the duty, cotton exports from America and Australia also started, due to which the farmers of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, and other cotton-growing states will be affected.Rajewal claimed that in the same way, now the govt is preparing to deal a "severe blow" to the country's agriculture sector by reducing the duty on the import of wheat, milk, dairy products, meat, and fish. He added that as soon as a tax-free trade agreement is signed with America, the country's farmers will be destroyed because they cannot compete with the agricultural technology of foreign countries and their low costs.On this occasion, BKU (Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan, while calling on the farmers to be alert, claimed that four big companies have their eyes on the fertile lands of the entire north India. He alleged that these companies now want to enslave the people by capturing the agricultural sector and seeing their dependence on food."Therefore, the farmers are ready to fight every difficult battle to save their lands." He added that if any govt "hurts" the livelihood of the farmers, the farmers will not hesitate to die. Accusing the Modi govt of "working under pressure" from capitalist countries, he claimed that so far, only the export duty on cotton has been reduced and in the coming days, wheat, dairy products, soybeans, corn, etc, will also start being exported from other countries. "Therefore, it is very important for the interests of the country and the farmers to stop this decision of the Modi govt," the farmer leader added.Other leaders of the kisan morcha, Ruldu Singh Mansa, Harinder Singh Lakhowal, Buta Singh, Harmeet Singh Kadia, Youngveer Singh Chohan, Niraibh Singh, Baldev Singh Nihalgarh, Prem Singh Bhangu, Phanuman Singh, Balwinder Singh Aulakh, Manjit Singh Dhaner, Satnam Singh Ajnala, Harjinder Singh Tanda, Kiranjit Singh Sekhon, Kanwalpreet Singh Pannu, Hardev Singh Sandhu, and Veer Singh Bajwa, among others, also addressed the gathering.Farmer leaders also warned the govt on issues like floods, sugarcane crop payments, and health risks due to biogas factories.