New Delhi: The CPI(M) said Monday the ‘unilateral agenda’ of US President Donald Trump’s visit is to further prise open the Indian economy to boost the US corporate interest and help his re-election bid. The party also called upon the Narendra Modi government not to succumb to the US agenda.
“The Politburo of the CPI(M) calls upon the Modi government not to succumb to the unilateral agenda of US President Donald Trump on his visit to India. The singular intention of the US administration is to further prise open Indian economy to boost the US corporate interest and thus help the reelection bid of Trump,” the party said in a statement.
It also said the US agenda will ‘adversely affect’ the interests of the Indian farmers, agriculture, particularly the dairy and poultry sectors.
“USA allows its agribusiness to distort prices to outcompete local farmers in the developing countries with a subsidy of a whopping $ 867 billion. Trump wants India to now remove the tariff barrier which serves as a policy tool to protect the Indian farmers, food procurement for people’s food security and minimum support price to our farmers. This will destroy Indian agriculture and the livelihood of crores of our people,” the party said.
Accusing the US President of targeting India’s health care sector, the CPI (M) said its demands that India must remove the compulsory licensing for the benefit of mega US pharmaceutical corporations was ‘misplaced’.
“The US corporate agenda on e-commerce is equally invasive which is trying to cajole India to sign the digital trade regime at WTO which would allow US big-tech to increase their control over the economy and the political process and facilitate free cross border data flows without compensation,” the party pointed out.
“At the same time, the Indian government must insist on US restrictive policy on visas which is adversely affecting Indian IT industry. Pressures are being exerted on export subsidy for small manufactures especially in fields like solar cell manufacturing,” the CPI (M) added.
The Politburo of the party calls upon the BJP government to resist such US pressures which undermine India’s economy and security concerns.
PTI