Ludhiana, June 5: The Bhartiya Kissan Union (Ekta Sidhupur) staged a protest on Thursday against the proposed India-US Free Trade Agreement. The demonstration was organized under the banner of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM Non-Political) outside the Deputy Commissioner's office.
Effigy burning and memorandum
Protesting farmers burned effigies of US President Donald Trump and submitted a memorandum addressed to the President of India to the Deputy Commissioner. They demanded that the agriculture, dairy, and poultry sectors be excluded from the trade pact.
Leaders' statements
BKU district president Supinder Singh Bagga compared the trade deal to the colonial-era East India Company agreements, warning that such policies could economically enslave local farmers. He alleged that the government was bowing before the US and putting the livelihoods of 1.4 billion Indians at risk.
Farmer leader Gurdeep Singh Burman said the Centre was introducing laws that would dismantle farming instead of fulfilling written promises made during past agitations.
Protest demands
The protesters also demanded:
- Imposition of import duties on foreign agricultural products to safeguard domestic producers
- Legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) as per the Swaminathan Commission's formula for crop pricing
- Loan waivers for farmers and agricultural labourers
The demonstration reflects growing opposition among farming communities to the proposed trade agreement, which they fear would harm local agriculture.
