The North News
Chandigarh, March 11
The Punjab Assembly unanimously passed a resolution on Tuesday, stating that any agreement with the United States that ignores the interests of farmers is unacceptable with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann cautioning against the proposed India-US trade deal.
Mann said the India-US trade deal could inflict damage on the Indian agriculture far greater than the now-repealed three farm laws that had triggered a “historic” farmers’ movement.
The ruling and opposition MLAs, excluding the two BJP legislators who were not in the House, spoke against the India-US trade deal, claiming that if the agreement was signed then it would deal a big blow to the agriculture sector especially of Punjab.
They called the trade deal a “death warrant” of India’s farmers.
During the ongoing budget session here, Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian moved a resolution against the India-US trade agreement, expressing fear that the Indian government has put farmers’ interests at stake by preparing for a trade agreement with the US.
“The foundation of Punjab’s economy is its farmers. Punjab’s farmers are not merely producers, but also protectors of their seed rights, their agricultural independence and the country’s food security.
“This House, therefore, stands with every farmer in Punjab and makes it clear that farmers should be given complete freedom to cultivate their own land, own their seeds, and adopt their traditional agricultural practices,” said the resolution.
The House also wishes to draw the attention of the government of India to the “potential” serious adverse consequences for Punjab’s agricultural system if tariff and non-tariff barriers on food and agricultural products are removed under the India-US trade agreement, it said.
“Besides a negative impact on crop diversification, if feed substitutes such as soybean oil are imported from the US at low prices, this would put pressure on corn and soybean prices and undermine ongoing crop diversification efforts in Punjab,” it said.
Second, it could have a serious impact on the cotton sector, if cotton imports from the US increases, the resolution added.
The US agricultural system is based on large farms, heavy government subsidies, and large-scale production capacity. Consequently, Punjab farmers would face unequal competition from cheap agricultural products coming from there, it said.
Participating in the debate on the resolution, CM Mann cautioned that the proposed India-US trade agreement could inflict damage on the agriculture sector.
He warned that opening India’s agricultural markets to heavily subsidised American produce would leave farmers in Punjab and across the country struggling to compete.
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, who hailed the resolution, slammed the BJP government at the Centre over the trade deal and said it will prove to be a “death warrant” for farmers if implemented.
The Congress legislator claimed that under this deal, crops like cotton, pulses, apples, corn and soybean have been allowed which will adversely impact the farming community.
He further said dairy industry comprising brands like Amul and Verka will be hit hard with the import of the US-made items.
Bajwa said the farm sector in the US is heavily subsidized and the Indian farmers cannot compete with them, adding that with this deal, India will no longer remain farm producer but will become a consumer.
He said the Congress is ready to provide any support to farmers on this front.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema also strongly criticised the Indo-US trade deal, warning that the agreement could harm Indian agriculture and expose domestic farmers to unfair global competition.
Addressing the House, Cheema expressed deep concern over the long-term implications of the trade pact on domestic farming and allied sectors. He specifically referenced statements and social media posts from US officials who reported celebrated newfound access to India’s massive population for their agricultural exports.
The minister questioned the stand of the BJP leadership and said the Centre must explain whether it is prioritising the interests of foreign corporations over the welfare of the people of India.
He called out the BJP leadership for yielding to foreign pressures, warning that allowing unregulated access to domestic markets fundamentally undermines the constitutional rights and economic security of Indian citizens.
Lashing out at the Centre over the deal, Congress MLA Pargat Singh called it an attack on the foundation of the country’s agriculture sector and said if the pact was signed then it would deal a big blow to the agriculture.
Stating that there was a big gap between India’s and the US farming sectors, Singh said besides big land holdings, the farming in America is heavily mechanized. He further said that the US government also provided heavy amount of subsidies to its farmers.
With this deal, the Indian market will be flooded with the US farm products, the Congress MLA claimed, adding that agriculture-based states like Punjab and Himachal Pradesh will be adversely impacted because of this deal.
Singh called for strongly opposing the deal and said that farmers should be provided all-out support.
