India-US deal ‘sells out’ nation’s food, health security, warn farmers
New Delhi: Indian farmers have raised widespread concern over the India-US free trade agreement saying the deal poses a significant threat to India’s sovereignty, data and digital policy, intellectual property rights, food and health security, and farmers’ rights.
According to Kashmir Media Service, speaking at the ‘National Seminar on US Trade Deal, Unequal FTAs and People of India’, Vijoo Krishnan, General Secretary, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), warned that the deal will have a cascading effect on the Indian economy, putting food and health security at risk.
“The Indo-US bilateral trade agreement has created an extremely grave situation, with the Government of India succumbing to pressure from an imperial power and endangering the country’s self-reliance and sovereignty,” Krishnan said.
Experts echoed concerns, with Prabhat Patnaik, Professor Emeritus, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), questioning the government’s intentions behind importing USD 500 billion worth of products from the US over the next five years.
“The government should reveal the exact outline of this proposition and how it aims to achieve it,” Patnaik said, highlighting the potential impact on India’s crude oil import bill.
Biswajit Dhar, former head of the Centre for WTO Studies (IIFT), warned that the deal could compromise India’s digital policy and intellectual property rights, threatening access to affordable medicines.
“The agriculture lobby in the US is ecstatic about this deal, as it seeks to undermine India’s minimum support price (MSP) and other farmer benefits,” Dhar said.
Farmers’ bodies are urging the government to reconsider the deal, warning that it could have devastating consequences for India’s agricultural sector and food security.
