India-US trade pact death sentence for farmers: RJD MP Sudhakar Singh

New Delhi: The proposed India-US trade agreement would amount to a "death sentence" for Indian farmers and will be opposed "from the streets to Parliament", RJD MP Sudhakar Singh said, alleging that the Centre is moving ahead with the pact without consulting farmer organisations.

In an interview with PTI, Singh -- a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture -- said farmer groups are preparing for nationwide mobilisation against the pact if adequate safeguards are not built in.

"This is a death warrant for the farmers of India, prepared without taking the opinion of the farmers of the country," he said, cautioning that protests would intensify if the government proceeds without addressing their concerns.

"Whenever there is an opportunity, we will fight both in Parliament and on the streets, and if necessary, we will also come to Delhi," he said.

Singh argued that while imports may be necessary in sectors such as defence or energy, agriculture cannot be treated on the same footing, as it directly concerns food security and livelihoods.

"If we look at the trade deal, we can agree on many things. But agriculture is different. We are not only consumers, but we are also producers and exporters," he said, recalling the food shortages of 1965-67 to underline the risks of weakening domestic farm protections.

Citing past trade arrangements, Singh claimed that the Indian farmers had suffered after the ASEAN pact led to a surge in edible oil imports, and said rubber growers in southern India had also faced distress.

"Our experience is that bilateral trade deals are not beneficial for farmers. There is already the WTO framework," he said, referring to the World Trade Organization.

Singh also claimed that the government's messaging on the proposed agreement lacked clarity.

"There is one statement in the morning, another in the afternoon and another in the evening. Even statements coming from America say agricultural products may enter India at zero tariff. How can anyone say agriculture will not be affected?" he said.

Singh warned that the removal of non-tariff barriers could trigger changes in India's plant protection and seed regulations.

"If non-tariff barriers are removed, will our protection laws also be changed? Farmers are worried about that," he said.

Linking the issue to pending agricultural legislations, Singh said the Seeds Bill, Pesticide Bill and Electricity (Amendment) Bill should be examined by the Parliamentary Standing Committee.

"Parliament works in two ways, through the session and through committees. Committees are meant for detailed discussion. We have been asking for months, but the government is not agreeing," he said.

"The committee is not an opposition forum; it is a sub-committee of Parliament. But the government is running away from discussion," he alleged.

On farm market reforms, Singh cited Bihar -- where the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) system was abolished in 2006 -- as evidence against the free-market model promoted by the Centre.

"Supporters of reforms say if mandis are abolished, farmers' income will rise. Bihar has no APMC system and no MSP guarantee. If that model worked, Bihar's farmers should have become prosperous in 20 years," he said.

Instead, he claimed, rural poverty and migration have increased. "Because of poverty, people are migrating in search of work. Farmers in Bihar still have among the lowest incomes. This shows that APMC and MSP are protections," he said.

"If you remove these safeguards nationally, what will happen to the whole country? The number of farmer suicides shows how much distress exists," he added.

Singh also criticised comparisons between Indian and foreign farm subsidies, arguing that support to Indian farmers remains limited.

"What subsidies do we really get? Some cheaper fertiliser, some cheaper electricity and Rs 6,000 a year. We are not asking for alms, we are asking for a law guaranteeing MSP," he said, referring to the income support provided under PM-Kisan.

He noted that a parliamentary panel had recommended legislation to guarantee a minimum support price (MSP), but the government had not acted on it.

In a December 2024 report, the standing committee recommended implementing a legally binding MSP for agricultural produce, arguing that it could significantly reduce farmer suicides and provide crucial financial stability.

Stressing that he was not opposed to trade agreements in principle, Singh said any pact must ensure fairness.

"We are not against a deal. We are asking for a level playing field. As long as there was balance, we exported more to America than they did to us," he said. "But if the condition is that you take our goods and we will not take yours, everyone should oppose such a deal." He said meetings were being organised in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand to mobilise farmers and political groups.

"We are farmers. We will fight. We are not living on the alms of the government. We give to the government, the government does not give to us," Singh said.

The opposition has been targeting the Narendra Modi government over the India-US interim trade deal, accusing the prime minister of surrendering Indian interests.

The government, however, has maintained that trade negotiations will not hurt the farm sector, with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal saying that "sensitive sectors like agriculture and dairy have been fully safeguarded", while asserting that farmers' interests remain protected in trade engagements.