Farmers laud PM Modi for standing firm on trade agreements, defying foreign pressure

In a strong show of support, hundreds of farmer leaders and cultivators from across India gathered at Subrahmanyam Hall, Pusa Campus in the national capital to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the central government for their decisive stance on international trade agreements that prioritise Indian farmers' interests over foreign pressure.

The meeting, organised by the Union Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, was attended by Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Choudhary, Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi, ICAR Director General Dr ML Jat, and representatives from various farmer organisations nationwide.

On this occasion, several representatives of farmer organisations spoke in unison while expressing their gratitude towards the Prime Minister for this farmer-friendly historic decision.

Bharatiya Kisan Sangh representatives Harpaal Singh Dagar, Dharmendra Malik, Dharmendra Choudhary, Virendra Lohan, Kirpa Singh Natthuwala, Kuldeep Singh Bajidpur, Baba Rajendra Singh Malik, Tarunesh Sharma, KP Singh Thainua, Acharya Ramgopal Walia, Vinod Anand, Rajkumar Balyan, Ashok Balyan, Vipichandra R Patel, Rampal Jat, Krishnaveer Choudhary, Bhupendra Singh Mann and K Sai Reddy thanked the Prime Minister for his bold steps, according to a statement by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Farm leaders hailed the government’s recent decision to resist foreign demands — particularly from the United States — to open India’s agriculture and dairy sectors to international corporate interests.

Dharmendra Choudhary, National President of the Indian Farmer Chaudhary Charan Singh Organisation, said, “Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has made an unwavering statement in the interest of farmers, livestock rearers, and fishermen. India will not compromise their interests at any cost. This announcement not only brings relief to millions of food providers but also strengthens the self-reliance of agriculture and rural India. We wholeheartedly welcome and support this far-sighted and farmer-friendly vision, which will inspire future generations.”

Virendra Lohan of the Chhattisgarh Youth Progressive Farmers’ Association said: “The courageous decision not to allow American companies into our agriculture and dairy sectors is echoing in every field, village, and cowshed. You have shown that the Indian farmer is not just a food provider but the very soul of this nation, a soul no foreign power can ever control. You have assured us that as long as the current leadership is in Delhi, no force can enslave India’s farmers. I also thank Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for his action against fake fertilisers, seeds, and pesticides.”

Dharmendra Malik said: “We thank the Prime Minister and the Agriculture Minister and appeal to you to stand firm on your stance and not change our policies on free trade. We will always stand by you.”

In his address, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the gathering represented a miniature India. “I salute you—my farmer brothers here—who work day and night to feed not just India but the world. Grain is life, grain is divine. The farmer is both the provider and the giver of life. For me, serving farmers is worship of God, and there is no greater worship than this.”

The Union Agriculture Minister emphasised that the PM has always taken strong, bold, nation-centric decisions, for which the country will forever remain indebted.