Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab erupted in protest Sunday, decrying the India-US trade deal as an existential threat to farmers nationwide. Kuldeep Dhaliwal, the party’s vocal spokesperson, called it farmer-unfriendly and nation-jeopardizing, forecasting agricultural collapse.
The deal’s sin: unlocking Indian markets for America’s subsidy-pumped exports, sidelining already beleaguered local producers. Dhaliwal skewered BJP’s Sunil Jakhar for cheerleading what he termed a veiled attack on marginal farmers—either naive or complicit.
AAP’s opposition has been unwavering over 10 days, debunking silence allegations. Shockingly, Trump’s agriculture-heavy posts broke the news, not Indian authorities, with PM Modi stonewalling questions in the House.
Vivid examples abound: US-dominated sorghum set to ruin Maharashtra’s drought-prone cultivators lacking MSP; incoming corn, grains, dairy hammering key states; cotton influx imperiling growers; nut and apple imports dooming Himalayan and Kashmiri farms. The ripple effects? Crop failures, suicides, rural despair.
Dhaliwal’s verdict is stark: reject this predatory pact to safeguard India’s farming soul. With elections looming, this controversy could reshape political fortunes, spotlighting AAP’s farmer advocacy.