Latest news with #AIKS
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
AIKS opposes promotion of gene-edited crop varieties
The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has written a letter to the Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressing its strong opposition to the introduction, promotion, and commercialisation of gene-edited crop varieties, including rice, in agricultural systems. In the letter dated Friday, Andhra Pradesh Ryotu Sangham (AIKS) president G. Eswaraiah and general secretary K.V.V. Prasad said that they were deeply concerned that these developments were being pursued without sufficient consultation with farmers, independent scientific assessment, or transparent public debate. The entry of gene-edited seeds threatens to create new forms of dependency for farmers while offering no proven long-term benefits. In the past, the AIKS expressed its concerns about Bt cotton and Bt Brinjal. Even though Bt cotton was effective for a few years, later it failed in controlling pests. Lakhs of farmers sustained huge losses. As Seed Bill 2004 was not passed, in the absence of a proper crop insurance scheme, farmers were not compensated resulting in suicidal deaths. ''Enact strict liability laws to hold seed and biotech companies accountable for economic and environmental harm caused by their products. Our bitter experience with Bt cotton should not be forgotten. Farmers must not be turned into passive consumers of corporate-controlled technologies. True agricultural development lies in empowering farmers through self-reliance. We hope the Ministry will heed this call and take steps to protect the rights, livelihoods, and dignity of India's farmers,' they added.
The Wire
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Wire
All India Kisan Sabha Accuses Union Govt of ‘Betrayal', Says New MSPs Exaggerated, Fall Short of Promise
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Government All India Kisan Sabha Accuses Union Govt of 'Betrayal', Says New MSPs Exaggerated, Fall Short of Promise The Wire Staff 8 minutes ago The AIKS alleged that the MSPs fall far short of the promised C2+50% (comprehensive cost plus 50% profit) formula. Representative image of farmers. Photo: Rajarshi Mitra/Flickr (CC BY 2.0 DEED) Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Contribute now The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) on Thursday (May 29) launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Union Government, accusing it of 'yet another betrayal' of farmers with the newly announced minimum support prices (MSP) for the kharif season 2025-26. The influential farmers' body alleges the MSPs fall far short of the promised C2+50% (comprehensive cost plus 50% profit) formula and that the government has indulged in 'a jugglery of numbers and distorted data to wilfully mislead the public.' In a detailed press release, AIKS contended that the government's claims of a major boost to farmers, with an approved MSP package reportedly worth Rs 2.07 lakh crore, are 'far removed from the truth.' The organisation reiterated the demand based on the 2006 Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Commission report, which recommended that farmers be paid a remunerative price at least 50% above the comprehensive cost of cultivation (C2). AIKS stated that 'even after 19 years, they remain hollow promises.' The press release highlighted significant discrepancies for key crops. For paddy, the most important kharif crop, the MSP was increased by a mere Rs. 69 per quintal to Rs. 2,369. However, AIKS, citing CACP (Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices) projections, stated the C2+50% price for paddy should be Rs. 3,135 per quintal, resulting in a loss of Rs. 766 per quintal for the farmer. The organisation also pointed out that state-level CACP cost projections for paddy in states like Punjab (Rs. 2,787), Telangana (Rs. 3,673), and Maharashtra (Rs. 4,159) are substantially higher, with these states having recommended much higher MSPs. AIKS further claimed that even the government's exaggerated MSP increases for crops like nigerseed (Rs. 820), ragi (Rs. 596), cotton (Rs. 589), and sesamum (Rs. 579) per quintal fall significantly short. For instance, the MSP for nigerseed is fixed at Rs. 9,537 per quintal, while the C2+50% price should be Rs. 12,037, leading to a potential loss of Rs. 2,500 per quintal. Similarly, losses per quintal were calculated for ragi (Rs. 1,078), cotton (Rs. 2,365), and sesamum (Rs. 3,102), among others detailed in a comparison table provided by AIKS. A comparison table provided by AIKS, depicting what the organisation claims to be the government's exaggerated MSP. Photo: AIKS The farmers' body also raised concerns about the practical benefits of MSP, stating, 'MSP announced remains mostly on paper since there is no assured procurement.' It cited 2021-22 data showing the average price received by paddy farmers was 36% lower than the MSP@A2+FL, and Tur/Arhar farmers in Telangana received 11% less than the MSP. AIKS points to low procurement rates Furthermore, AIKS pointed to low procurement rates, with only 17.3% of paddy farmers nationally benefiting from MSP procurement in 2023-24. Procurement was described as 'very meagre' in states like Uttar Pradesh (5.8%), Bihar (4.1%), and Assam (below 5%). For other crops, only 0.23% of Tur/Arhar, 0.72% of Groundnut, and 9.3% of Cotton production were reportedly procured. Long-term data, according to AIKS, shows a deceleration in the growth of real MSP for almost all crops. Real MSP for paddy grew at 1.17% per annum between 2004-05 and 2013-14 but declined to 0.53% per annum between 2014-15 and 2025-26. Nine out of sixteen crops studied reportedly showed a sharp slowdown, with crops like paddy, maize, tur/arhar, urad, and groundnut seeing growth rates below 1% per annum in the last decade. The AIKS concluded by warning the BJP-led Union government 'to desist from data manipulation and refrain from misleading the public.' The organisation called upon all its units 'to expose the farcical claims' and announced its intention to 'unite with farmers' organisations to launch a fierce movement demanding fair price for crops.' 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New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
BJP instigating violence after Kamal Haasan's comment on Kannada: CPI(M) leader Shanmugam
KRISHNAGIRI: BJP is instigating an issue over language between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, after actor-politician Kamal Haasan made a comment on Kannada at a movie promotion, said CPI (M) state secretary P Shanmugam at Hosur on Thursday. While speaking to reporters, Shanmugam said, "Each and every one will take pride in their mother tongue and Kamal Haasan is not a linguistic expert, he shared experts' opinion that 'Kannada was born out of Tamil'. People have the rights to argue or share this view, but they should not indulge in violence. BJP is politically instigating a language issue between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka." Earlier, over 350 people took part in a demonstration organised by the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) in front of the Hosur sub-collector office. During the demonstration, Shanmugam said, "Implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 is poor, forest department officials are ill-treating the poor in forest and sanctuary areas. Chief Minister MK Stalin should convene a meeting with the forest officials on the implementation of forest rights and advise officials to avoid excessive measures against public." He further said there are over 2,000 acres of land in Chennasandiram panchayat in Hosur taluk being cultivated by farmers for decades and patta should be provided to them. Similarly, people without houses in Krishnagiri district should be allocated with land for house construction. The state secretary added, "Effluent water in South Pennai River from Karnataka entering Hosur in Krishnagiri district is polluting farmlands, which should be prevented by holding dialogues between the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka chief ministers. Similarly, effluents released into South Pennai from Krishnagiri should also be prevented." Shanmugam submitted a petition with a charter of demands to Hosur Sub-Collector RA Priyanga, who assured that all issues will be inquired into in a phased manner and steps are being taken to provide patta to the poor and land less. Issues regarding the forest department will be informed to Collector C Dinesh Kumar, Priyanga said. AIKS Krishnagiri district secretary C Prakash also participated in the demonstration.
The Hindu
05-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Tariffs Are to Protect Our Farmers, Not US Agribusiness: Ashok Dhawale
Published : May 05, 2025 14:10 IST - 10 MINS READ Ever since the Donald Trump administration pushed through 'reciprocal tariffs' as a tool to strong-arm trade partners, alarm bells have been ringing in India over the fallout for its agriculture sector and the already precarious livelihoods of farmers and peasants. It was no surprise, then, that US Vice President J.D. Vance's visit to India was met with protests by farmer and peasant organisations across the country. Ashok Dhawale, who represents the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), told Frontline that the US' move on tariffs needed to be resisted as it would undermine domestic production capabilities. Excerpts from the interview: During the visit of US Vice President J.D. Vance to India, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the AIKS staged protests across the country. Is the declaration of reciprocal tariffs a cause for worry for the Indian peasantry? What we are discussing today is not limited to India and the United States. Over the past three decades, the peasantry in India has been consistently squeezed by the propagation of the free trade policy by the Western world. We have seen this from the time of signing of the WTO agreement in 1994, and through other trade agreements like the ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] agreement. On the one hand, promises were made that Western markets will open up for exports by Indian farmers, who will get a higher price and higher income. This has remained a pipe dream because most Western markets remain closed to Indian farmers due to high tariff and non-tariff barriers. On the other hand, India has been forced to reduce its tariffs and remove all non-tariff barriers. This has led to dumping of cheap agricultural goods from the West in Indian markets and a consequent crash of prices in a range of crops. The AIKS has consistently pointed out and agitated against such succumbing by the government of India to Western interests that have had a disastrous impact on Indian agriculture. Let us not forget that close to 3,00,000 farmers in India have committed suicide in the last quarter of a century. The reciprocal tariffs announced by Trump are nothing but a part of the larger imperialist agenda of undermining the domestic production capabilities in the developing world and capturing these consumer markets for their goods. The agenda here is to force open the Indian market to agricultural goods produced and exported by the large and monopolistic multinational agribusiness corporations in the US. Trump has called India a 'tariff king'. But he does not realise that the small and marginal peasantry is the backbone of India's rural economy, and our tariffs are to protect them, while the tariffs in the US continue to remain unacceptably high and are erected to protect the interest of agribusiness corporations. We want the government of India to take a strong political position against such bullying. Also Read | The way forward for agriculture according to a new report from the Network of Rural and Agrarian Studies (NRAS) The pressures are not new. The US administration has been pushing the Narendra Modi government to wind up the public distribution system and reduce subsidies on fuel and fertilizers. Yes, the agenda of the American administration is closely linked to the agenda of international organisations largely controlled by the West, [like] the World Bank and the IMF. Firstly, they have argued for more than three decades that India must open up its trade, allow free flow of goods in and out, dismantle public procurement of foodgrains, reduce the buffer stock of foodgrains, and limit the public distribution system to a very small section of the population or even replace it with a cash transfer system. The experience during the COVID-19 pandemic showed how destructive the outcome could have been if India had listened to this advice. While the need of the hour is to further expand the public distribution system into new regions and sections of the population, as well as new subsidised goods, the American administration is advising us to do just the opposite. Secondly, the agrarian crisis in India today is largely a crisis of profitability. This is owing to a huge rise in the price of major inputs used in agriculture, such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, diesel, electricity, and water. Many subsidies on these inputs have been withdrawn or slashed in the recent past, which is the main reason for the price rise. The American administration and its neoliberal friends in the Indian establishment totally agree with this pernicious agenda and have joined hands to promote a regime of fiscal austerity across the board. India is the world's largest dairy producer. Dairy farmers have expressed concerns if either high tariffs are imposed or tariffs are lowered to accommodate American interests. India's dairy sector is dominated by about eight crore small producers; the average herd size is just two or three animals. But the average herd size in the US is an astonishingly high 337 animals! Such producers are hardly farmers; they are business giants who run factory farms. Even then, dairy exports in the US are one of the most heavily subsidised in the whole world. Contrast this with the Indian case, where most of the eight crore small producers are mobilised into several cooperatives from the time of Verghese Kurien's White Revolution. These small producers struggle hard to feed India daily, so much so that India is today largely self-sufficient in its milk requirements. It is this self-sufficiency—the legacy of the White Revolution—that Western and American interests are hell-bent on destroying by forcing India to lower its tariffs on American dairy products. This is exactly what we saw vis-a-vis the interests of the dairy industry in Australia and New Zealand during the negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership [RCEP] agreement. India's peasant organisations, including the AIKS, fought against the RCEP agreement and succeeded in forcing the government of India to withdraw. This is exactly what we propose to do with Trump's bullying of Modi also. 'India's agricultural sector is dominated by small and marginal farmers while the American agricultural sector is dominated by large agribusiness corporations.' What are the agricultural products and related sectors likely to be impacted the most? We think that high tariffs in the US will adversely affect farmers in India who grow and export basmati rice, spices, processed fruits and nuts, dairy products, cotton, and sugar. The seafood processing sector, which produces and exports shrimp and processed fish products, will also be adversely affected. These are the major agricultural products that India exports to the US. On the other hand, lower tariffs in India are likely to lead to a dumping of cheap American dairy products like milk powder and cheese, wheat, and oilseeds like soya bean and canola oil. India today has an official policy of attaining self-sufficiency in the production of oilseeds, which will be thoroughly undermined if we lower the tariffs on American oilseed imports. Is dumping the only concern if India were to lower its tariffs or is the corporatisation of agri-marketing also a worry? India's agricultural sector is dominated by small and marginal farmers while the American agricultural sector is dominated by large agribusiness corporations. The small number of farmers and the large-sized agribusiness corporations in the US receive significant government assistance, subsidies, and other transfers, while the large number of small farmers in India hardly receive even a fraction of such support. The transplanting of the American model of agriculture into India is a global agenda of imperialism, and many Indian corporations like the Reliance and Adani groups are waiting in the wings to piggyback on such a model. It is no secret that these Indian corporations are pushing for a dismantling of whatever little government support exists for India's small and marginal farmers, such as the mandi system, minimum support prices, procurement, input subsidies, and the public distribution system. They want to undermine farmer-owned cooperatives in India in the dairy sector and replace them with private corporate firms. They also want to do away with India's land reform legislations to allow for large-scale private land acquisition. This is an area of serious concern for Indian agriculture, and we must learn from the failed engagements with the US of the corn farmers of Mexico after the North American Free Trade Agreement and of the soya bean farmers of Brazil. We do not want a similar experiences in India. The Office of the US Trade Representative in its 2025 National Trade Estimate Report listed close to a dozen items with very high tariffs. It said high tariff rates presented a barrier to trade in other agricultural goods and processed foods. India has offered tariff cuts on US farm imports as per media reports. What does this mean for food security? Tariffs in India will lead to dumping of a range of agricultural commodities into India, including dairy products, wheat, cotton, soya bean, and canola oil. Our policy emphasis on achieving self-sufficiency in oilseed production will be a major casualty. Also Read | Agriculture in the age of inequality Do you think the Modi government and the Union Agriculture Minister are doing enough on this issue to assure the Indian peasantry that its interests will be protected? The Modi government is increasingly hopeful of becoming an ally of the US administration in its geopolitical and economic policies. Let us remember that Modi actively and unprecedentedly supported the election campaign of Trump on many occasions, including by coining the infamous slogan 'Ab Ki Baar Trump Sarkar'. It will be impossible for him to take a strong position against the agenda of Trump in such a context. We do not see any strong public position taken by Modi or any of his Cabinet Ministers to assure the Indian farmers that their interests will be protected against bullying by the US administration. For example, the Modi government has been silent on the high tariffs in the US. Its position during the introduction of farm laws in 2020 shows a clear tilt in favour of corporate interests in Indian agriculture, which we believe are in alignment with the interests of the US. The AIKS is against strategic compromises with the US that endanger the economic future of the Indian peasantry. Some economists argue that the way the US imposes tariffs on India and that of rival nations might ultimately be a factor affecting the outcome in the end (favouring India) and that much depends on bilateral trade negotiations. What is your understanding of this? Relative prices do matter, and we are still awaiting a full picture on how Indian interests will be affected. But the dust does not appear to settle, also because the US has been changing its policies on a weekly basis! What is also clear is that in a range of agricultural commodities, the interests of Indian farmers will be severely affected if the US keeps its tariffs high and India is forced to lower its tariffs. What is also rather dangerous is that the Trump administration is pushing for a bilateral free trade agreement. This was an agenda that he pushed with India during his first presidency between 2017 and 2021. There also, the major demands of the US were to lower Indian tariffs on dairy, poultry, and meat products; reform digital and intellectual property laws to favour big-tech companies and pharmaceutical firms in the US; and undertake reforms in India's agricultural marketing sector towards withdrawing state intervention and promoting corporate interests. History appears to be repeating itself, and we must guard ourselves against such predatory agendas.
The Guardian
21-04-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
JD Vance heads to Delhi for talks on fast-tracking trade pact
The US vice-president, JD Vance, is heading to India for talks with the prime minister, Narendra Modi, on a bilateral trade deal as the US tariff war with China escalates and the US global economic alliances fray. Vance, joined by the second lady, Usha Vance, and their three children, Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel, will land in Delhi on Monday for a four-day visit that blends high-level negotiations with a family sightseeing tour. The White House described the visit as focused on 'shared economic and geopolitical priorities', while India said Vance's stay would 'provide an opportunity for both sides to review the progress in bilateral relations'. Talks will centre on fast-tracking a trade pact amid Washington's global tariff offensive, even as farmer protests and tensions over US immigration threaten to overshadow the trip. India was hit with 26% tariffs by Donald Trump on 2 April despite his good relations with Modi. A 90-day pause has offered temporary relief but Delhi remains wary. To head off further economic fallout, officials in the Indian capital have been working overtime to hammer out the first tranche of the trade deal that both sides hope to have completed by autumn. India has already slashed tariffs on some US goods and further sweeping cuts are expected. The US is India's top trading partner, with two-way trade surpassing $190bn (£144bn). That relationship was boosted after Modi paid a goodwill visit to Washington after Trump's return to the White House. Both leaders pledged to more than double bilateral trade to $500bn – a 'mega partnership', as Modi called it. But not everyone is happy. On 21 April, the day Vance arrives, India's biggest and oldest farmers' union, the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), has called for nationwide protests to oppose a trade deal. The union says trade liberalisation could devastate farm incomes, particularly in the dairy sector. The AIKS, affiliated with the Communist party of India, claims more than 16 million members and has accused the US commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, of 'coercion' in demanding that India's heavily subsidised agriculture sector be part of the deal. Meanwhile, memories are still fresh in the Modi government of large-scale farmer protests in 2020–21 that forced the repeal of controversial farm laws. Tensions are also flaring over student and H-1B visas, often awarded to tech workers. The Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has flagged US data showing that of 327 recent visa revocations for international students, half involved Indian nationals. 'The reasons for revocation are random and unclear. There is growing fear and apprehension,' Ramesh said, urging the external affairs minister to 'raise the concern' with the US. The American Immigration Lawyers Association says US immigration officials are 'aggressively targeting international students', including those with no protest history. Concerns over H-1B visas, long vital for Indian tech workers in the US, are mounting, too. Indians accounted for 70% of all H-1B visas last year, more than 200,000. Uncertainty over re-entry is prompting many to cancel visits home. The ministry of external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the government was 'very positive' that Vance's visit would 'further boost' ties and promised 'all relevant issues' would be discussed. Vance's time as vice-president has been marked by his assertive 'America First' foreign policy. On a European tour, he raised tempers by criticising allies' defence spending. In March, during a Greenland stop, he caused consternation by saying: 'We have to have Greenland. It's not a question of 'Do you think we can do without it?'' Vance's India visit comes just after the head of US intelligence chief, Tulsi Gabbard, was in Delhi to bolster the Quad – the four-nation security grouping of the US, India, Japan, and Australia – seen as a counterweight to China's growing clout. Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, has also been on a south-east Asia charm offensive, promoting Beijing as a steadier and more dependable economic ally than Washington. Although Vance is primarily on a working visit, his trip will have a strong personal element. The family will tour the royal palaces of Jaipur and the iconic Taj Mahal. Officials say the 'private component' underscores Usha Vance's Indian roots – she was born in the US to Indian immigrants – and deep ties to India.
