Farmers' protest against India-US trade deal on February 15
Farmers across India are planning a big protest on February 15 to oppose the proposed India-US trade deal.
The announcement came from SKM leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal during the Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir yatra, which is gathering signatures for a petition to the government about farmers' long-standing demands.
Protesters to wear black bands, burn copies of the deal
Farmers say the trade deal could hurt their livelihoods, with Karnataka's Kuruburu Shanthakumar even comparing it to colonial-era British trade.
Protesters will wear black bands and burn copies of the deal to show their frustration.
Their main asks? A legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) and action on promises to implement the Swaminathan report, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised before coming to power in 2014.
As Sachchidananda Swami, speaking at the reception hosted at Sri Sachchidananda Swamy Ashram, put it, "farmers and soldiers are like the two eyes of the nation."—and they want their voices heard.