A tidal wave of farmer discontent builds in Bhopal ahead of the February 24 mahapanchayat, headlined by Congress heavyweights Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge. The mega-event targets the contentious India-US trade deal, which critics say prioritizes foreign interests over domestic agriculture.
Congress detailed the assembly’s mission: unmasking the deal’s dangers to thousands of attending farmers. Harish Chaudhary highlighted 1960s US embargoes that nearly broke India, crediting Green Revolution for recovery. ‘Soybean and cotton imports will crush our producers,’ he predicted, forecasting economic havoc for smallholders.
Jitu Patwari, state party head, framed the issue as an existential threat to India’s farming heritage, untouched by outsiders since 1947 until Modi’s era. He announced Bhopal as the protest epicenter, with Budhni chaupal and Vidisha padyatra sparking a countrywide revolt. ‘Modi has auctioned farmers to America—this movement begins now.’
Umang Singhar raised alarms over the deal’s opacity, linking it to US-Pakistan alliances that undermine India. Domestic markets remain unready for import floods.
Poised to reshape discourse on trade and agrarian policy, the Bhopal gathering heralds an era of intensified farmer activism under Congress leadership.