India-US trade pact will cause losses to farmers, says Gurnam Singh Charuni

Gurnam Singh Charuni, National Convenor of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), has stated that farmers across the country will unite to stop the India-US trade pact proposed by the Government of India. According to a report by The Hindu, Charuni alleged that this pact would hand over the country's agricultural sector to the United States. He made this significant statement while inaugurating the Kisan Mahapanchayat organised at Palachimada near Palakkad on Sunday.

Charuni warned that this trade pact would allow uncontrolled imports, which would affect not only the agricultural sector but also small businesses, the fishing industry, poultry, and the dairy sector. He further stated that farmer organisations would launch nationwide protests against this pact. The schedule for these protest programmes will be announced at the Kisan Mahapanchayat to be held in Kurukshetra, Haryana, on 25 November.

Reminding the Central Government, Charuni said that due to public protest, the government had to withdraw from the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement. He advised the government to remember this experience before moving towards the India-US trade pact. Farmer organisations have expressed concern that this pact could expose local producers to imports of subsidised agricultural products from the US, which could weaken the livelihoods of farmers and small traders. The organisations have demanded protection against import duties and subsidies, and have also demanded the cancellation of unequal trade agreements.

The programme was presided over by Adhikari Karyakarta Vilayodi Venugopal. Muthalamthodu Mani, General Secretary of Deshiya Karshaka Samajam, delivered the keynote address. K.V. Biju, National Convenor of Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh, released a pamphlet opposing the trade pact. The organisation's State President B. Nair welcomed the programme. During the event, others including Combayor Nandakumar, John Joseph, Isa Bin Abdul Karim, Sunny Prakash, Jinette Mathew, Rajer Sebastian, Aramel S., P.J. John Master, Shiva Ganesh, Shaji Edifice, Abdul Razik, Sunny Thundathil, Mukundan K.V., and Shaji Thundathil also expressed their views.