In a scathing editorial published in its mouthpiece Saamana, the Shiv Sena (UBT) said the agreement endangers the livelihood of the country’s food producers and questioned whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi is safeguarding India’s interests or acting as a “sales agent” for the United States (US)
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. File pic
The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on Thursday came down heavily on the Centre over the India–US trade agreement, describing it not just as a deal but a “declaration of war” against Indian farmers and labourers.
In a scathing editorial published in its mouthpiece Saamana, the Shiv Sena (UBT) said the agreement endangers the livelihood of the country’s food producers and questioned whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi is safeguarding India’s interests or acting as a “sales agent” for the United States (US).
The editorial called upon farmers and workers across the nation to unite and seek accountability from the Central government.
It said the agreement was signed at a time when the domestic economy is under strain, noting that the Indian rupee had slipped to a record low of 92 against the US dollar in late January. Despite this, the government appeared “intoxicated” by the deal, the editorial said, accusing it of projecting US President Donald Trump as a “new deity” while “mortgaging the nation’s sovereignty”.
The editorial asserted that Prime Minister Modi “should not remain in office for even a moment after sacrificing the interests of Indian farmers and national sovereignty”.
Quoting Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Saamana claimed that the Prime Minister signed the agreement out of “fear” and under “immense pressure” from Trump. According to Gandhi, the deal had been stalled for nearly four months and was suddenly signed for “mysterious reasons”.
‘Fine print’ of India-US trade deal spells trouble for economy, farmers: Saamana
While the BJP has hailed the agreement as a “magnificent announcement” that would benefit 1.4 billion Indians, the editorial said the fine print paints a bleak picture for the domestic economy.
It claimed that India would reportedly stop buying oil from Russia and instead switch entirely to US oil imports worth 500 billion dollars. It further alleged that India would scrap tariffs on US agricultural products, coal and technology.
The editorial pointed out that although US tariffs on Indian goods are expected to come down from 50 per cent to 18 per cent, India’s effective tariff burden would jump sharply from 3.31 per cent earlier to 18 per cent.
Warning of serious repercussions for the agriculture sector, the Thackeray camp said a proposed “zero tariff” regime would result in subsidised and cheaper American produce flooding Indian markets. Commodities such as cotton, milk and dairy products, pulses, soybean, maize, almonds, walnuts, fruits and vegetables would be sold duty-free, making them cheaper than domestic produce and pushing Indian farmers and agricultural labourers out of competition.
In a country where farmers continue to die by suicide due to mounting debt, the editorial said, the government is “rolling out the red carpet for foreign products”, reiterating that the Modi government has compromised the interests of Indian farmers and national sovereignty in favour of the United States.
(With IANS inputs)
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