Mohali :
The Mohali unit of the Congress submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, raising concerns over the proposed Indo-US Trade Deal and its potential impact on Punjab’s agrarian economy.
The memorandum was handed over by District Congress President Kamal Kishore Sharma, former Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, and other party workers at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in SAS Nagar.
Addressing the media, Balbir Singh Sidhu said the proposed trade agreement could pose a serious threat to Punjab’s predominantly agrarian economy. He stated that as a border state heavily dependent on agriculture, Punjab would be among the worst affected if cheaper foreign agricultural produce is allowed to enter Indian markets.
Sidhu said that small and marginal farmers in the state, who operate on limited landholdings, would not be able to compete with large, highly mechanised American farms backed by heavy subsidies. “Such unequal competition will push farmers into severe economic distress,” he warned.
The former minister further cautioned that any weakening of the rural economy would directly affect employment opportunities for youth, who are already facing shrinking prospects in agriculture. He said rising unemployment could aggravate the drug menace and create serious social challenges in the state.
Highlighting strategic concerns, Sidhu said economic instability and joblessness among youth in a sensitive border state like Punjab could be exploited by anti-national forces. He asserted that a strong agrarian economy and empowered youth are essential for maintaining social and economic stability.
Referring to India’s past leadership, Sidhu said former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Manmohan Singh had consciously protected Indian farmers by not opening agricultural markets to foreign produce, even during challenging times. “They understood that opening our markets would weaken our farming backbone. The Centre must learn from that history,” he said.
Urging the Governor of Punjab to take up the matter with the Union Government, Sidhu said Punjab’s farmers and India’s food security cannot be compromised and called for the proposed Indo-US Trade Deal to be reconsidered in the larger interest of the agrarian economy.
