Will protect our farmers, ready to pay heavy price for it: PM Modi | India News
NEW DELHI: PM Modi responded on Thursday to US President Donald Trump’s decision to raise the tariff against India to 50% by ruling out concessions to American business in the agriculture, dairy and fishery sectors, and said he was ready to pay any price he may personally have to pay for resisting the pressure.“For us, the interests of our farmers is top priority. India will never compromise on the interests of its farmers, dairy farmers and fishermen. I know I will personally have to pay a heavy price but I am prepared for it,” Modi said.The PM’s remarks came hours after Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff burden on Indian goods as a penalty for, ostensibly, buying Russian oil, bringing the overall duty on Indian exports to 50% and further fanning tariff tensions. US’s insistence on access to agriculture, dairy and fishery sectors has been among the major points of discord, with India putting its foot down. “For the farmers of my country, for the fishermen of my country, for the livestock rearers of my country, Bharat stands ready today,” he said.PM’s readiness to pay ‘personal price’ marks escalation of resistance The PM’s response on Thursday built upon his earlier public “no”, the one at Varanasi on Saturday, to US’s pressure. The US has not only been demanding low tariffs on certain farm products such as corn, soybeans, apples, cotton, almonds and ethanol, but also pitching for allowing entry of its genetically modified produce like maize, soy, canola & cotton into Indian market. It also wants India to let in beef and cattle feed, which has bones & other animal parts; both absolutely “no-go” zones for govt.During trade negotiations, India resisted the US demand to lower tariffs on these products as it will negatively impact Indian farmers who produce maize, soybean, pulses, cotton and fruits and nuts. India also opposed the American move to push GM products due to biosafety concerns.Significantly, the “whatever-it-takes” assertion came during the PM’s speech at an event to mark the centenary of legendary agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan, the driving force behind ‘Green Revolution’ which helped India overcome its dependence on US foodgrains and shake off the stigma of “ship-to mouth” economy. Modi’s statement about his readiness to pay a “personal price” also marked an escalation of Indian resistance and the transformation of the trade dispute into an issue of national pride and self-reliance.With Modi taking it upon himself to lead the “resistance”, Trump’s claim, already neutered by his hectoring, that he had leveraged a promise of a tariff deal to get India to pause Operation Sindoor, appeared to have receded into the background.Outlining his vision for Indian agriculture, Modi, on the occasion, pushed for combining traditional Indian agricultural practices with modern science, and emphasised the need to ensure nutritional security, crop diversification and development of climate-resilient crop varieties. He also pitched for integration of AI and machine learning in agricultural systems.“Govt has always considered the strength of farmers as the foundation of national progress,” Modi said, noting that the policies formulated in recent years were not merely about assistance, but about instilling confidence among farmers.
