Govt Should Hold Discussion in Parliament, Consult States Before Signing Trade Deal: SKM

Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Thursday urged the government to refrain from signing any trade agreements that may hurt agriculture or industry and demanded that draft trade proposals should be discussed in Parliament.

The government should also consult state governments and organisations representing farmers and workers before finalising any trade deal.

"SKM strongly demands that Prime Minister Narendra Modi not sign any trade agreements that will hurt agriculture, industry...The Prime Minister has to first place the draft proposals on the trade agreements in Parliament and hold discussions with the state governments and the organisations of farmers and workers since agriculture and industry are in the State list as per the Constitution of India," SKM said in a statement.

They pointed out that the ultimatum of US President Donald Trump of imposing reciprocal tariffs will come into effect on July 9, and the announcement of the India- UK FTA and bilateral trade agreement with the US and a host of such trade agreements in the pipeline are all shrouded in secrecy.

SKM said there has been "zero consultation" with farmers' and workers' representatives, state governments or even Parliament.

"They could be the death knell for millions of people in India dependent on agriculture, dairying, fishing, horticulture etc. Apart from agriculture, the interests of the MSMEs across sectors like generic pharmaceuticals to auto parts and millions of workers across these sectors are also likely to be adversely hit," the statement said.

Earlier FTAs with Sri Lanka and ASEAN have created havoc in the lives of farmers, especially in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, where dumping of cheap commercial crops like tea, coffee, pepper, rubber etc., has led to loss of incomes to millions of farmers, SKM added.

India and the US are engaged in negotiations for an interim trade deal and are trying to finalise the pact before July 9, sources said earlier this week.

The high tariffs, announced by the US on April 2, were suspended by the Trump administration till July 9.