Noida: Several farmer and labour organisations staged protests on Thursday at the magistrate’s office in Noida and the collectorate in Greater Noida against the recent trade deal between India and the United States.They submitted memorandums addressed to the President claiming that if India opened its agricultural market to the US at zero tariff, it would create a serious threat to the livelihood of Indian farmers. They stated that this deal will benefit large foreign agricultural corporations, while small and marginal farmers in the country will end up paying the heaviest price. The demonstrations coincided with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s visit to the city for a private event. The protest forms part of a nationwide campaign announced by farmer unions under the Samyukt Kisan Morcha against the framework for an interim India-US trade deal signed last week. The unions have called the pact a threat to agriculture, dairy and rural livelihoods, and announced protests leading up to a general strike on Thursday.At the Collectorate, members of the Kisan Sabha, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) and several labour unions held a procession before assembling outside the administrative block. Addressing the gathering, Kisan Sabha district president Rupesh Verma said, “This agreement is being presented as a trade reform, but for farmers it is a direct threat to livelihood. If zero-duty imports are allowed while our produce struggles for fair prices, small farmers will be pushed out of farming.“Verma asked why farmers were not consulted before moving ahead with the agreement. Another arm of the BKU staged a demonstration at the magistrate’s office in Noida’s Sector 19, where they raised slogans against the central govt and burned copies of the trade agreement to register their opposition. Addressing farmers at the site, BKU district president Ashok Bhati said, “The villages are the backbone of this country. Before signing any trade pact that affects agriculture, the govt must ensure farmers’ consent and security. This agreement threatens both.”Hundreds of farmers, including office-bearers from both organisations, were present at the 2 protest sites. The groups warned that if the Centre does not cancel the agreement and address their concerns, the agitation would be intensified in the coming days.District officials said the memorandums were received and will be forwarded to the appropriate authorities. The US, meanwhile, has revised its factsheet on the trade deal with India, removing a reference to “pulses” among the wide range of US food and agricultural products on which India will eliminate or reduce tariffs. It also changed the wording that India was “committed” to make a purchase of $500 billion from the country to “intend”.
