Farmers plan pan-India Protests over India-US trade deal on February 12
The group also demanded the immediate resignation of Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.
- Feb 8, 2026,
- Updated Feb 8, 2026 7:16 PM IST
Several farmer groups, including SKM, its non-political faction, and AIKS, criticised the India-US trade deal on Saturday and announced plans for protests across the country, as reported by PTI.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the SKM said the proposed interim trade agreement framework between India and the United States was a “total surrender” of Indian agriculture to American multinational corporations. The group also demanded the immediate resignation of Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.
Addressing an online press conference, SKM leaders said protests would be held in villages across India, and they would burn effigies of US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The SKM also expressed support for the February 12 general strike.
AIKS leader Krishna Prasad said the trade deal would have a deep impact on the agriculture sector by opening markets for products like dried distillers' grains, red sorghum for animal feed, and soybean oil. He also claimed the agreement would affect the dairy sector.
He added that deals with the US and the European Union (EU) were being made to benefit their “stagnant” economies and were not beneficial for India. Activist Sunilam said the issue should be debated in Parliament.
Krantikari Kisan Union (Punjab) leader Darshan Pal said members of his outfit would burn effigies of Trump and Modi in protest. He added that the deal would further affect farmers already struggling with low income and unpaid loans.
Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said villagers are questioning how the deals will affect them and called upon farmers to join the protests.
In a statement, the SKM said, “The framework is an abject rejection of the claim of the Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal that the agriculture and dairy sectors are out of the Free Trade Agreements and the Government of India will not make any compromise on the interests of agriculture.”
“The commerce minister is consciously propagating falsehood and betraying the farmers and the entire people. SKM considers the role of the commerce minister as a traitor and demands his immediate resignation,” the statement added.
The SKM also warned, “The prime minister should desist from signing the India-US Free Trade Agreement or face massive pan-India united mass struggles.” The group appealed to all political parties, farmers, agricultural workers’ organisations, trade unions, and mass organisations to join the protest demonstrations on the February 12 general strike.
The SKM (Non-Political) said it would soon hold a meeting to announce large-scale protests against the India-US free trade agreement, adding that Indian farmers would not tolerate such an agreement.
Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal said that while Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is tweeting that agriculture and the dairy sector will be protected, the India-US joint statement shows that India has agreed to discuss and resolve non-tariff barriers imposed on US agricultural and food products.
Dallewal said, “These two positions are contradictory, and the joint statement makes it clear that under US pressure, the Indian government has agreed to open Indian markets to American agricultural products, which will cause severe losses to Indian farmers.”
India and the US announced on Saturday that they have reached a framework for an interim trade agreement. Under the deal, both sides will reduce import duties on several goods to boost two-way trade. Washington will cut tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent from the current 50 per cent, while New Delhi will eliminate or reduce import duties on all US industrial goods and a wide range of American food and agricultural products, including dried distillers' grains, red sorghum for animal feed, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, soybean oil, wine, and spirits.
The joint statement also said India plans to purchase US energy products, aircraft and aircraft parts, precious metals, technology products, and coking coal worth $500 billion over the next five years.
The Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions (CTUs) and sectoral federations and associations have announced a one-day general strike on February 12 against the labour codes and the trade deals.
(With inputs from PTI)
Several farmer groups, including SKM, its non-political faction, and AIKS, criticised the India-US trade deal on Saturday and announced plans for protests across the country, as reported by PTI.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the SKM said the proposed interim trade agreement framework between India and the United States was a “total surrender” of Indian agriculture to American multinational corporations. The group also demanded the immediate resignation of Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.
Addressing an online press conference, SKM leaders said protests would be held in villages across India, and they would burn effigies of US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The SKM also expressed support for the February 12 general strike.
AIKS leader Krishna Prasad said the trade deal would have a deep impact on the agriculture sector by opening markets for products like dried distillers' grains, red sorghum for animal feed, and soybean oil. He also claimed the agreement would affect the dairy sector.
He added that deals with the US and the European Union (EU) were being made to benefit their “stagnant” economies and were not beneficial for India. Activist Sunilam said the issue should be debated in Parliament.
Krantikari Kisan Union (Punjab) leader Darshan Pal said members of his outfit would burn effigies of Trump and Modi in protest. He added that the deal would further affect farmers already struggling with low income and unpaid loans.
Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said villagers are questioning how the deals will affect them and called upon farmers to join the protests.
In a statement, the SKM said, “The framework is an abject rejection of the claim of the Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal that the agriculture and dairy sectors are out of the Free Trade Agreements and the Government of India will not make any compromise on the interests of agriculture.”
“The commerce minister is consciously propagating falsehood and betraying the farmers and the entire people. SKM considers the role of the commerce minister as a traitor and demands his immediate resignation,” the statement added.
The SKM also warned, “The prime minister should desist from signing the India-US Free Trade Agreement or face massive pan-India united mass struggles.” The group appealed to all political parties, farmers, agricultural workers’ organisations, trade unions, and mass organisations to join the protest demonstrations on the February 12 general strike.
The SKM (Non-Political) said it would soon hold a meeting to announce large-scale protests against the India-US free trade agreement, adding that Indian farmers would not tolerate such an agreement.
Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal said that while Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is tweeting that agriculture and the dairy sector will be protected, the India-US joint statement shows that India has agreed to discuss and resolve non-tariff barriers imposed on US agricultural and food products.
Dallewal said, “These two positions are contradictory, and the joint statement makes it clear that under US pressure, the Indian government has agreed to open Indian markets to American agricultural products, which will cause severe losses to Indian farmers.”
India and the US announced on Saturday that they have reached a framework for an interim trade agreement. Under the deal, both sides will reduce import duties on several goods to boost two-way trade. Washington will cut tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent from the current 50 per cent, while New Delhi will eliminate or reduce import duties on all US industrial goods and a wide range of American food and agricultural products, including dried distillers' grains, red sorghum for animal feed, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, soybean oil, wine, and spirits.
The joint statement also said India plans to purchase US energy products, aircraft and aircraft parts, precious metals, technology products, and coking coal worth $500 billion over the next five years.
The Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions (CTUs) and sectoral federations and associations have announced a one-day general strike on February 12 against the labour codes and the trade deals.
(With inputs from PTI)