Amid CJP March, Punjab Farmers Head to Delhi for July 21 Protest Against India-US Trade Talks

Hundreds of farmers from Punjab left for Delhi on Sunday to participate in a nationwide Mahapanchayat on July 21, intensifying opposition to the proposed India-US trade agreement that farmer organisations fear could severely impact India's agricultural sector. The gathering at Kisan Ghat has been convened by the Desh Bachao Morcha, with organisers claiming that nearly 550 farmers' unions and social organisations from across the country will take part.

Addressing reporters in Beas before departing, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee Punjab leader Germanjit Singh Bandala alleged that the proposed trade pact was being structured to favour American agribusinesses while undermining the interests of India's small and marginal farmers, agricultural labourers, traders and rural workers. He argued that the agreement could expose domestic agriculture to unfair competition from heavily subsidised US farm products.

Bandala said American agriculture is dominated by large mechanised farms spanning thousands of acres and backed by substantial government subsidies, whereas the majority of Indian farmers cultivate barely two to two-and-a-half acres with comparatively limited institutional support. If lower-priced agricultural imports from the United States enter the Indian market under reduced tariff provisions, he warned, Indian farmers could struggle to compete, resulting in declining farm incomes and mounting financial distress.

Farmer organisations have also expressed concerns that greater market access for US agricultural products, including dairy and other farm commodities, could weaken India's agricultural ecosystem, affect procurement systems and place additional pressure on rural livelihoods. They have argued that any trade agreement should safeguard the interests of domestic producers before opening the sector to increased foreign competition.

Bandala further alleged that previous governments had resisted excessive foreign influence in the farm sector, while accusing the current Centre of moving ahead with the negotiations under pressure from the United States. He claimed the consequences of the proposed agreement would extend beyond agriculture, impacting small businesses, employment and the rural economy.

Farmers from Punjab, Haryana and several other states are expected to attend the Mahapanchayat. Organisers said that if authorities prevent protesters from reaching Kisan Ghat, they will stage peaceful demonstrations at the locations where they are stopped. Describing the July 21 protest as "only the beginning," Bandala warned that the agitation would be intensified unless the Centre withdraws the proposed India-US trade deal and addresses farmers' concerns.