SAS Nagar | Former Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu today said that the proposed Indo-US Trade Deal poses a grave threat to Punjab’s agrarian economy and the livelihood of farmers. A memorandum highlighting these concerns was submitted to the Deputy Commissioner, Mohali by District Congress President Kamal Kishore Sharma, Balbir Singh Sidhu and other Congress workers from Mohali.
Balbir Singh Sidhu stated that Punjab, being a border state with a predominantly agrarian economy, will be among the worst affected if cheap foreign agricultural produce is allowed into Indian markets. He said that Punjab’s small and marginal farmers, who survive on limited landholdings, cannot compete with large, highly mechanised American farms backed by heavy government subsidies, and such an unequal competition will push farmers into severe distress.
The former Health Minister warned that weakening the rural economy will directly impact employment opportunities for youth, who are already facing shrinking prospects in agriculture. He said that rising unemployment will further worsen the drug menace in the state and create serious social challenges.
Highlighting the strategic concerns, Balbir Singh Sidhu said that anti-national forces could exploit economic instability and joblessness among youth in a border state like Punjab. He asserted that a strong agrarian economy and empowered youth are essential to the state’s social and economic stability.
Referring to India’s past leadership, Balbir Singh Sidhu said that former Prime Ministers Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr. Manmohan Singh had consciously protected Indian farmers by not opening the country’s agricultural markets to foreign produce, even during times when India faced food shortages. “They understood that opening our markets would destroy our farming backbone. The Centre must learn from that history,” he said.
Urging the Governor of Punjab to take up the issue with the Government of India, Balbir Singh Sidhu said, “Punjab’s farmers and India’s food security cannot be compromised. The Indo-US Trade Deal must be reconsidered and reviewed to safeguard our agrarian economy.”