Gurnam Singh Charuni warns against Indo-U.S. trade agreement

Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) national convener Gurnam Singh Charuni inaugurating a Kisan Mahapanchayat at Plachimada near Palakkad on Sunday.

Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) national convener Gurnam Singh Charuni said farmers across the country would unite to prevent the Centre from signing the proposed India-U.S. trade agreement, which, he alleged, would hand over the country’s agricultural sector to the United States.

Inaugurating a Kisan Mahapanchayat at Plachimada near here on Sunday, Mr. Charuni said the agreement would allow unrestricted imports and affect not only agriculture but also small businesses, fisheries, poultry farming and the dairy sector.

He said farmers’ organisations would launch a nationwide protest against the agreement. The protest programmes would be announced at the Kisan Mahapanchayat scheduled to be held at Kurukshetra, Haryana, on November 25.

Mr. Charuni reminded the Centre that it had been forced to withdraw from the proposed regional comprehensive economic partnership (RCEP) agreement following public protests. He said the government should remember this experience before proceeding with the India-U.S. trade agreement.

Farmers’ organisations have raised concerns that the proposed agreement could expose domestic producers to subsidised American agricultural imports and weaken the livelihoods of farmers and small traders. They have also demanded protection for import duties and subsidies and the cancellation of unequal trade agreements.

Rights activist Vilayodi Venugopal presided over the function. Desiya Karshaka Samajam general secretary Muthalamthodu Mani delivered the keynote address.

K.V. Biju, national coordinator of Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh, released a pamphlet opposing the trade agreement. B. Nair, State chairman of the organisation, welcomed the gathering.

Coimbatore Nandakumar, John Joseph, Isa Bin Abdul Kareem, Sunny Prakash, Jinnette Mathew, Rajer Sebastian, Aramel S., P.J. John Master, Shiva Ganesh, Shaji Edifice, Abdul Razik, Sunny Thundathil, Mukundan K.V. and Shaji Thundathil were among those who spoke.