‘Farmers will burn copies of India-US trade deal on February 15’

Samyukta Kishan Morcha leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal said farmers across the country will protest against the Indo-US trade deal by wearing black bands and burning copies of the proposed agreement between the two countries on Sunday.

Samyukta Kishan Morcha leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal said farmers across the country will protest against the India-US trade deal by wearing black bands and burning copies of the proposed agreement between the two countries on Sunday.

Mr. Dallewala was speaking at a reception at Sachchinadananda Ashram in Mysuru on Wednesday, for the farmers participating in the Kanyakumari to Kashmir awareness yatra.

Farmers’ leader from Karnataka Kuruburu Shanthakumar, who heads the Federation of State Farmers’ Association and State Sugarcane Growers’ Association, recalled that the British originally came to India for trade, but eventually ruled the country. He alleged that the trade agreement taking shape between India and the United States could harm the interests of Indian farmers.

Mr. Shanthakumar, who explained the objective of their awareness yatra undertaken by the farmers, said the Union Government had failed to protect the interests of the farmers.

As part of the yatra, which began five days ago, the farmers’ leaders will travel across the country for 40 days, collecting the signatures of farmers. A memorandum bearing the signatures of the farmers will be submitted to the Centre seeking action on their demands.

Urging the farmers to unite against the policies of the Union Government, Mr. Shanthakumar said a massive farmers’ rally has been planned in Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on March 19, and urged the farmers from across the country to participate in the event in large numbers.