New Delhi: Above 50 farmers’ associations, trade unions, traders’ groups, health associations, environmental groups and activists Saturday cautioned that extending concessions to the US in the agri and dairy sectors under a trade pact would have long-term disruptive impacts on local farmers.
They alerted that systemic law and policy issues of huge long term importance to India in terms of its economic interests and strategic autonomy, including intellectual property (IP) policies, digital-sector policies, industrial policy, investment priorities, financial stability and energy independence “may be flying under the radar”.
“We fear that these will get compromised, even as the Indian government declares ‘victory’ in not having relented on agriculture and dairy issues,” non-government organisation Forum for Trade Justice said in an open letter which was endorsed by more than 50 organisations such as Kerala Coconut Farmers Association, Centre of Indian Trade Unions, Shramik Bharti, Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh and National Coalition of PLHIV in India.
US demands in free trade agreement negotiations will mean that a foreign country forces changes in India's policies, regulations, and laws, overriding India's sovereignty, it said.
The central government should immediately engage with parliamentary committees, state governments, regulatory bodies, farmers’ unions, civil society groups, and other stakeholders to seek their inputs and suggestions on the ongoing FTA negotiations.
The US has slapped 50% tariffs on Indian exports to the US, on both economic and political grounds and has apparently demanded duty-free access to Indian markets in return for a reduction of these illegal tariffs, it said.
“These concessions would have large-scale and long-term disruptive impacts on both Indian farmers and India's agro-biodiversity,” it added.
It also said that in respect of intellectual property (IP), India may be compelled to make changes to its domestic patent laws for facilitating “evergreening” of patents on pharmaceutical products.
This would destroy India's generic medicine industry, thereby resulting in a sharp increase in the cost of healthcare among the sick and poor,” it said in the letter.
They alerted that systemic law and policy issues of huge long term importance to India in terms of its economic interests and strategic autonomy, including intellectual property (IP) policies, digital-sector policies, industrial policy, investment priorities, financial stability and energy independence “may be flying under the radar”.
“We fear that these will get compromised, even as the Indian government declares ‘victory’ in not having relented on agriculture and dairy issues,” non-government organisation Forum for Trade Justice said in an open letter which was endorsed by more than 50 organisations such as Kerala Coconut Farmers Association, Centre of Indian Trade Unions, Shramik Bharti, Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh and National Coalition of PLHIV in India.
US demands in free trade agreement negotiations will mean that a foreign country forces changes in India's policies, regulations, and laws, overriding India's sovereignty, it said.
The central government should immediately engage with parliamentary committees, state governments, regulatory bodies, farmers’ unions, civil society groups, and other stakeholders to seek their inputs and suggestions on the ongoing FTA negotiations.
The US has slapped 50% tariffs on Indian exports to the US, on both economic and political grounds and has apparently demanded duty-free access to Indian markets in return for a reduction of these illegal tariffs, it said.
“These concessions would have large-scale and long-term disruptive impacts on both Indian farmers and India's agro-biodiversity,” it added.
It also said that in respect of intellectual property (IP), India may be compelled to make changes to its domestic patent laws for facilitating “evergreening” of patents on pharmaceutical products.
This would destroy India's generic medicine industry, thereby resulting in a sharp increase in the cost of healthcare among the sick and poor,” it said in the letter.
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