New Delhi: Amid the American tariff hike, PM Narendra Modi in his twelfth consecutive Independence Day speech reiterated that India won’t compromise on the pursuits of farmers.

“India’s farmers, her livestock rearers, and her fishermen are our precedence… India won’t ever settle for any compromise in relation to the pursuits of our farmers, livestock rearers, and fishermen,” mentioned Modi from the rampants of Crimson Fort.

The Prime Minister’s remarks got here at a time when the US is looking for obligation concessions from India within the agriculture and dairy sectors within the proposed bilateral commerce settlement being negotiated between the nations.

Just lately, the US elevated tariffs on Indian items to 50%. Nonetheless, PM Modi didn’t instantly point out Trump’s tariffs in his two hour lengthy speech.

Final week too, Modi swore to guard the pursuits of farmers, even when it got here at a private value.

Commerce talks between each the nations collapsed after 5 rounds of negotiations. On 14 August, the Indian international ministry mentioned that it hoped relations with US would transfer ahead based mostly on mutual respect and shared pursuits

‘Farmers made us self-sufficient’

In his Independence Day speech, Modi mentioned it had been a problem to make sure meals for everybody after Independence. “However our farmers made us self-sufficient,” he mentioned. Echoing his authorities’s push for an Atmanirbhar Bharat, he mentioned being depending on different nations was a recipe for catastrophe. “We have to be self-reliant to safeguard our pursuits,” he mentioned.

Modi additionally talked in regards to the Indus Waters Treaty which is in abeyance after the Pahalgam assault. “The treaty was neither within the nation’s pursuits nor within the curiosity of India’s farmers,” he mentioned, including that India has now determined that blood and water won’t stream collectively.

“Folks have come to grasp that the Indus Waters Treaty is unjust and one-sided. Water from the Indus River system has been irrigating the lands of the enemy, whereas our personal farmers have suffered,” mentioned Modi.

In his speech, he additionally talked about that within the agriculture sector, the federal government has recognized round 100 districts the place farmers want further help. “To strengthen them, we’ve began the Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana,” he mentioned, including that the federal government was delivering the advantages of quite a few growth schemes to small farmers, livestock keepers, and fishermen.

“Be it the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, rainwater harvesting, irrigation schemes, or high quality seeds, farmers now believe in each area,” he mentioned.

Modi mentioned India has reached the second place on the earth by way of manufacturing of wheat, rice, fruits, and greens. “The produce that the farmers of my nation domesticate is now reaching the markets of the world. Agro merchandise value Rs 4 lakh crore have been exported,” he mentioned.

“The farmers of my nation make an enormous contribution to India’s economic system,” he added. “The arduous work of India’s farmers is bearing fruit. Final yr, the farmers of my nation broke all earlier information in grain manufacturing. That is the power of my nation’s farmers,” mentioned Modi.

(Edited by Viny Mishra)

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