Samyukt Kisan Morcha Set to Campaign Against India EU Trade Deal

 

The samyukt Kiran morcha skm a collective platforms of more than 40 farmers unions across India has announced a natural campaign against the proposed India Europe union Europe trade deal the farmers tody has raised series concerns about the impact of the agreement on indian agreement rural livelihood food security and national economic sovereignty according to skm leaders the trade deal is heavily piloted in favour of multinational corporation and European agribusiness while indian farmers small producers and workers stamd to lose the Most 

The announcement has once again brought trade agreement and their implications for india agreement economy into Sharp public focus the skm which gained national and international attention during the 2020 21 farmers protocol against the three now repealed from laws has vowed to mobiles farmers agreement workers and allid sectore to propose what it describes as a pro corporate and anti farmer agreement 

Background of the India eu trade deal 

India and the European union have been negotiations a comprehensive free trade agreement fta also referred to as the broad based trade and investment agreement btla for several years The aim of the deal is not and service promote investment and deepen economic cooperation between the two sides Supporters of the deal argue that it will enhance India access to European markets boost exports attract foreign investment and greater employment 

However certain points out that trade agreement often come with hidden costs particularly for countries with large agreement population like India The European union is known for producing have subsidies to its farmers under the common agricultural policy cap these subsidies allow European agricultural products to be sold at artificially low prices in global market A practice often referred to as dumping indian farmers who already struggle with rising input costs climate uncertainty and unstable market price may find it impossible to compete with such subsidies imports 

Why samyukt Kiran morcha is opposing the deal 

The skm has clearly stated that its Opposition to the Indian eu trade deal is based on long term concerns about the survival of India agricultur and rural livelihood according to the farmer unions the agreement Threats to open indian market to cheap agricultural and processor food imports from Europe which could severely impact domestic producers 

One of the key concerns is the proposed reduction or eliminates of inport duties on products such as daily items process foods edible oils wine and other agricultural goods indian dairy farmers most of whom are small and Mathias producers owning just two or three animals fear that European dairy giants will flood the market with low priced milk products This could deatsbilise indian cooperation based daily sector Wich support millions of rural households 

Skm leaders have also wanted that the deal could weaken indian ability to regulate agricultural market in the public interest trade agreement often include clauses related to intelligence properly rights investment protection and dispute settlement mechanism these provision can limit the government policy space making it difficult to introduce price control minimum supports prices msp or public procurement systems aimed at protection farmers 

Impact on small and marginal farmers 

India agricultural landscapes is dominated by small and marginal farmers who consuming more than 85 percent of the total farming population these farmers operate on tiny lamdlholdings and depend heavily on local markets government support schemes and cooperation network the skm argue that indian eu trade deal ignore this ground reality and instead priorities the interests of large agribusiness corporation 

Cheap imports of agricultural products could lead to a fall in domestic price Making farming even less remuneration in such a scenario farmers may be forced to abandon agreement of fall deeper into debt the skm has repeatedly highlighted that indian agriculture is already in crisis as evidenced by low incomes riding indebtedness and frequent farmers suicide introducing a trade agreement that intensifies market competitive without adequate safeguards could worsen this crises 

Sanjay and phytosanitary barriers 

Another major issue raised by the skm us the unequal application of sanitary and phytosanitary sps standard which the European union maintains very struct quality and safety standards that often act as Mon tariff barriers to indian agricultural exports it simultaneously seeks easier access to India market for its own products farmers leaders argue that this creates an products playing field where India exporters face hurdles about while European producers enjoy expanded opportunities in India 

For example indian fruits vegetation and marine products frequently face rejection or additional compliance costs in Europea market due to stringent sps norms the skm believe that unless issues are addressed in a fair and Transparent manner the trade deal will remain fundamentally imbalanced

Corporate control and food security 

The skm has also linked the india eu trade deal to the broader issue of corporation control over food systems according to the farmer body free trade agreement often pave the way for large multinational corporation to dominate supply claims from seeds and inputs to processing and retail this concentration of power can marginalise small farmers and undermine traditional farming practices 

Food scrutiny is another cuties concerns indian has built a robust public distribution systems pds to ensure affordable food grains for its population farmers unions fear that trade liberalisation commitment could weaken government procurement mechanism and buffet stock political which are essential for maintenence food security any dilution of these systems could have series consequences for millions of vulnerable people 

Planned campaign and nationwide mobilisation 

In response to the proposal trade deal the Samyukt Kiran morcha has announced plans for a nationwide campaigns to rise awareness and mobilise public opinion this Sampson is expected to include village level meetings syate level concerns and lsrge demonstrates in major cities the skm has also called upon trade union students organization and civil social groups to join the movement 

Leaders of the morcha have emphasised that their struggle is not limited to farmers alone but concerns all sextile of society affected by neoliberal economic policies they have demanded that the trade deal be placed before parliament for details discussion and public scrutiny rather than being finalized behind closed doors 

Government stand and counter arguments 

The government on the other hand has defineded the indian eu trade deal as a strongic and economic necessity office argue closer ties with the European union will strengthen indian position in global value chains reduce dependence on a few trading partners and open up new opportunities for india exports in sectors such as pharmaceuticals textiles infrastructure technology and engineering goods 

The government has also assured that sensor sector including agriculture will be protection through saffron measures and hande tariff reduction however the skm remains sceptical of these assistance citing past experience with trade agreement that failed to delivers promised benefits to farmers and workers 

Lessons from previous trade agreement 

The skm often reflects to india experience with earlier free trade agreement such as those with Asian countries to support its argument according to several studies these agreement led to a surge in imports without a corresponding increased in exports adversely affection domestic production in sectors like agriculture plantation crops and small scale manufacturing 

Farmers leaders argue that instantly of repeating past mistakes india should focus on strengthening domestic production ensures fair prices for farmers and promote sustainable agreement they believed that trade policy should be aligned with national development goals rather than global corporate interests 

Conclusion 

The samyukt Kiran morcha decision to campaign against the indian eu trade deal marks a significant moment in India ongoing debate over trade liberalisation and agreement policy thr farmers moment has once again highlighted the need to examine economic agreement Threats the Lens of social justice livelihood security and national intetest 

Aa negotiations between indian and the European union concerns the voiced of farmers and rural communities are likely to play an important role in shaping public discipline whether the government choose to engage with these conservation In a meaningful way Or push ahead with the deal will gave far reaching implications for india agreement economy and democratic processors