NEW DELHI – The BJP government led by Narendra Modi is pushing the country’s farmers towards a dangerous noose, where a coordinated triple assault is being launched on our seed sovereignty, our livelihoods, and the rights of farmers as custodians of biodiversity, the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has alleged.
In a statement issued here on Sunday, the organisation strongly condemned these government policies, “which sacrifice farmer interests and national interests for the benefit of multinational corporate agriculture companies.”
The All India Kisan Sabha called upon farmers across the country to launch a protest movement. On December 10, it will observe a Protest Day, where demonstrations will be held at the district, block, and village levels by burning copies of the Seed Bill 2025 and copies of the International Treaty (ITPGRFA).
The so-called “compromise proposal” from the GB11 meeting on the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources (ITPGRFA), held in Lima, Peru, is the international wing of the sustained attack on Indian agriculture. It is directly linked to the anti-farmer Indo-US trade deal and the draconian Draft Seed Bill 2025, forming a trifecta of policies designed to hand over control of our food system to foreign corporations and trap farmers in corporate slavery for seed access, the AIKS said.
The government of India is actively facilitating, both internationally and domestically, the corporate takeover of our seed sector. Its actions at GB11, in the trade talks, and through the Draft Seed Bill reveal a profound betrayal of the farmers, whom it is constitutionally sworn to protect, the statement said.
