AIKS urges Centre to protect farmers' interests

Vijayawada, July 1 (UNI) All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) today demanded the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government to protect the interests of the country and its farmers at the ongoing Ministers meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at Geneva.

Addressing a press conference here, AIKS Vice-President Kolli Nageswara Rao warned that if the Centre succumbed to the pressure of the developed countries, the people of India would not excuse it.

He said the WTO was one of the main institutions utilised by the imperialist US to implement its unipolar policy in the world.

Mr Rao said as per WTO provos, US and other developed countries should reduce agricultural subsidies to 20 per cent by 2000. Instead of reducing it, they had raised it approximately to 70 per cent.

In India, the World Bank compelled the government to reduce subsidy, which resulted in agricultural crisis and farmers' suicide.

He said so far no develped country had cut their agricultural subsidies.

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