AIKS to stage protests against U.S. Vice President Vance's visit to India

It said the ongoing trade negotiation is a deliberate move so that cheaper cotton, soybean, maize, apple etc. from the United States can be dumped in India, which it warned would lead to a price crash for Indian farmers.

The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) said on Thursday (April 17, 2025) that it will hold mass demonstrations against U.S. Vice President J D Vance's upcoming visit to India.

In a statement, the AIKS called upon all its units across the country to hold mass demonstrations, burn effigies of the U.S. vice president and raise the "Vance Go Back! India Is Not For Sale" slogan in villages and district headquarters on April 21, the day he is scheduled to arrive in India.

Farmers’ protest on Vance visit

The farmers' wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's assertions that India should open its agriculture market and that agriculture cannot be "off the table" in the negotiations for the Bilateral Trade Agreement should be taken up during Vance's talks with Indian leaders.

"The Bilateral Trade Agreement under discussion will be the death-knell of dairy farmers as the U.S. dairy exports to India will make a quantum jump if tariffs and market restrictions are lifted. The U.S. Wheat Associates claims that India has high levels of domestic support and trade distorting high tariffs; ironically, this is while the peasantry in India are on the struggle path for remunerative Minimum Support Price with legally-guaranteed procurement," the AIKS said.

Trade negotiation against farmers’ interest

It said the ongoing trade negotiation is a deliberate move so that cheaper cotton, soybean, maize, apple etc. from the United States can be dumped in India, which it warned would lead to a price crash for Indian farmers.

"All negotiations are being done without taking state governments or Parliament into confidence. Such agreements also do not assure the implementation of international labour standards," the farmers' body said.

Accusing the government of maintaining silence over the issue, the AIKS said, "While countries like China, Canada, Mexico etc. made a resolute push-back against (U.S. President Donald) Trump's tariffs and rallied to defend their economic interests, India has chosen to capitulate and surrender its national interests." "Vice President of the U.S. J D Vance's visit to India is part of putting pressure upon the State of India and the corporate-led ruling classes to surrender the national interests to facilitate windfall profiteering to multinational companies," it said, calling for protests against Vance's visit.

Mr. Vance, his wife Usha and their three young children -- Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel -- will pay a four-day visit to India beginning April 21 during which the U.S. vice president will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with a likely focus on an early finalisation of the proposed bilateral trade pact and ways to bolster the India-U.S. ties.

Mr. is travelling to India amid rising global concerns over Trump's tariff tussle and both sides are likely to deliberate on firming up the proposed trade deal that is aimed at addressing issues relating to levies, market access and supply chains.

Published - April 20, 2025 05:15 pm IST