Punjab Rises: Farmers Signal Long-Haul Fight Against Proposed India-US Trade Deal

Demonstrations erupt across 21 districts as unions flag fears of market displacement and corporate dominance in the agricultural sector.

The smoke from burning effigies drifted across 21 districts in Punjab this Wednesday, marking the latest flashpoint in the growing friction between agricultural unions and the central government. Under the banner of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), farmers and labourers took to the streets to register their opposition to the proposed India-US trade deal. For the protesters, the agreement is not merely a policy document; they view it as an existential threat to the livelihoods of small-scale growers and the domestic dairy industry.

KMM leader Sarwan Singh Pandher didn’t mince words while addressing the crowds. He drew a direct parallel to the contentious three farm laws of the past, accusing the government of once again failing to consult the very people who power the nation's food security. "The objective is to bring the truth about the dangerous consequences of this agreement to the people," Pandher stated, warning that the struggle will not subside until their demands for transparency and protections are met.

The Economic Anxiety

The core of the unrest lies in the stark disparity between American industrial-scale agriculture and the typical Indian farm. With approximately 86% of Indian farmers holding five acres or less, the prospect of an open-access market is being viewed as a lopsided contest. Protesters argue that their counterparts in the US benefit from massive government subsidies and high levels of mechanisation that a smallholder in Punjab—already grappling with debt and stagnant crop prices—simply cannot match.

The agitation is rapidly escalating beyond the regional protests seen this week. Farmer outfits have already begun coordinating for a nationwide day of action scheduled for February 12, with plans for a "Worker-Farmer Parliament" in Delhi by early March. While the government has yet to release a granular breakdown of the deal’s impact on agriculture, the prevailing silence from official channels is only fueling the narrative that the deal represents a "total surrender" of local interests to corporate-led international trade.

Why it matters

This protest signals a recurring pattern in Indian policy-making: the persistent disconnect between high-level trade diplomacy and the realities of the rural agrarian economy. By framing the India-US deal through the lens of protectionism, farmer groups are effectively challenging the state to prove that international integration won't come at the cost of the vulnerable. The bigger picture suggests that as trade negotiations move toward the final stages, the government faces a steep climb in winning the "trust deficit" battle. Whether the administration chooses to open a dialogue or double down on its current trajectory will likely determine the intensity of the upcoming protests in the capital and beyond.