Delhi Kisan Mahapanchayat: Why are farmers from Punjab and Haryana marching to the capital?
Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and several other states are heading to Delhi on Tuesday to attend a Kisan Mahapanchayat against the proposed India-US
Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and several other states are heading to Delhi on Tuesday to attend a Kisan Mahapanchayat against the proposed India-US trade deal, alleging that the agreement could severely hurt India's agriculture and dairy sectors. The protest comes amid heavy security at the Punjab-Haryana border, where Haryana Police erected concrete barricades and deployed a large force at the Shambhu border to prevent farmers from entering the national capital, according to news agency PTI.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher accused the Haryana government of stopping protesters from travelling peacefully to Delhi and said the action exposed the state's "true face". The day-long Kisan Mahapanchayat, organised under the banner of the Desh Bachao Morcha, is scheduled to be held at Delhi's Kisan Ghat. Why are farmers protesting? According to PTI, farmer organisations say the proposed bilateral trade agreement could allow greater imports of subsidised US agricultural and dairy products into India by lowering tariffs and easing market access.
According to the protesters, cheaper imports of products such as soybeans, corn, cotton, apples, almonds, dairy products and poultry could make it difficult for Indian farmers -- most of whom own small landholdings -- to compete, reducing farm incomes and affecting rural livelihoods. They argue that American farmers receive higher government subsidies and operate on much larger farms, giving them a competitive advantage over Indian producers. Farmer leaders have also warned that the proposed agreement could affect sectors beyond agriculture, including dairy, fisheries, digital trade, e-commerce, investment, small businesses and micro industries.
What are the farmers demanding? The protesters are demanding that the Centre scrap the proposed India-US trade agreement and make all documents related to the negotiations public. They have also sought wider consultations with farmers' organisations and other stakeholders before any trade pact is finalised.
The BriefWire