Prime Minister Modi has announced that he would not succumb to President Trump’s pressure and not sign the bilateral trade agreement because Trump and American multinational companies want to make forays into India’s agricultural sector. And if they succeed, it would be a disaster for India’s peasants. Hence, he says he would not allow such a disaster to happen.
Once this announcement of his came to limelight, the mainstream monopoly-controlled media, now nicknamed Gadi media, has been euphoric to see the Hindutva activists throughout the country having started dancing in joy. They are proudly saying: ‘Look, how brave Modiji is! He has the guts to say no to Trump! This is real patriotism! And because of this, 8 crore peasants associated with the dairy industry are saved. Well done Modiji! Well done!’
Despite all these hype and propaganda of the Godi media, questions do remain. And the questions cannot be dismissed as slanders by the apologists of the saffron brigade. Because the questions are based on solid ground. The first question that arises is since the time PM Modi and his government have come to power, they have opened the floodgate to the domestic and foreign monopoly capital into the country’s agricultural sector in finest continuation of what their predecessor Congress Government had done. Already, they have handed over production and sale of key agricultural inputs like fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, etc., to the giant American multinationals like Monsanto, Corteva Agriscience, FMC Corporation, and Gowan Company. Even forest land and water resources have been forked out to them. Not only that. These agri-giants have been allowed to control entire marketing system of agricultural produces—from procurement and distribution to sale. In July last, PM Modi has signed an ‘India-U.K. Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)’ with imperialist UK. Under the agreement, India has agreed to remove or reduce tariffs on 90% of its tariff lines, which cover 92% of the U.K.’s exports to India. As a result, India would be a dumping ground for British agricultural products. Everyone knows how PM Modi-led BJP government had enacted three black farm laws which were in utter detriment to the interest of the peasants and glaringly in favour of the oligarchs and multi-nationals. Millions and millions of peasants fought at the Delhi border for more than one year, sacrificed their lives to resist these black laws and ultimately, under pressure of such a sustained movement, PM Modi and his government had to bend and withdraw the legislations. But efforts are on to bring back those legislations through backdoor. And yet we are to believe that PM Modi would protect the interest of the farmers! Absurdity par excellence!
Had Pm Modi an iota of sympathy for the impoverished peasants, he would have legally guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP) of agricultural produce based on C2+50% formula to enable the peasants get a fair and profitable price for their crops. The Modi government could have waived all agricultural loans of the farmers and arranged job for the agricultural workers throughout the year. Neither PM Modi nor his government is even thinking of doing any of these. Rather, under their rule, farmers are losing everything—home, hearth. land, crops and are forced to commit suicide. Over 1,12,000 suicides are reported in India’s Farming Industry in last 10 Years.
So it’s crystal clear that Modiji is not at all anxious about the welfare of the peasants. Rather he is found to be traversing just the reverse path. This is the bitter experience of the peasants during his misrule.
So, the talk of protecting peasants’ interest is a hoax. The real reason is “somewhere else.” What is that reason? Let us come to that point now.
After the war with Ukraine, Russia’s oil export to the European countries started to decline. As a result, Russia began searching for new customers for oil sale. To woo new customers, they reduced the price per barrel by $5 to $30 compared to the international crude market price. And China, India and Turkey took advantage of this scope.
India means not only the Indian government, but also Indian multinational corporations—especially Ambani’s Reliance Mobility, a joint venture between Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and BP, a British multinational oil and gas company. This company under Jio-bp brand import crude oil cheaply from Russia, refine that oil in their Indian refineries and sell it in the European and American markets at a higher price. Last year, the company refined the oil imported from Russia at the Jamnagar Reliance refinery in Gujarat and sold it to the United States at around $2 billion. And in this process, the joint venture of Ambani made a profit of as high as Rs 6,850 crore last year. (The Hindu, 18-03-25) So, who would stand to lose if oil imports from Russia is stopped? The loss will be to the Ambanis who are close to PM Modi. Can Modiji afford to do that?
Incidentally, one more thing needs to be mentioned. Cheap oil imports from Russia have started since 2022. But have the prices of petrol and diesel in the country decreased? No, it had not decreased. Rather, it has increased many times. So, it is clear that cheap oil imports from Russia has nothing to do with the interests of the people of our country the peasants included. All the benefits in the form of swelling profits are accruing to the Ambani’s and the giant oil companies. So, if import of Russian oil ceases, it will be the Indian multinationals like the Ambanis as well as oil marketing companies who would be affected, not the peasants. Can PM Modi allow this even in his dream? So, the hullabaloo over the issue is not for the peasants. The gallery-show of antiTrump jihad is for the interest of the monopolist sharks.
In fact, Trump is waging business of war around the world, imposing tariffs to protect the interest of the troubled American multinational companies. Similarly, Modiji is also running from door to door to protect the interests of the ruling crisis-stricken Indian monopolists. This is a game of the imperialists to divide the international market for looting. A fight between the gang of robbers. Is there any relation of this sword fight with the interests of the peasants of our country?
