The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has warned of militant resistance by farmers if the Narendra Modi government proceeds with a proposed trade deal with the United States, arguing that concessions to Washington could threaten the livelihoods of Indian farmers and accelerate corporate consolidation in agriculture.

In a press release issued on October 21, the farmers’ organisation described the proposed agreement as an “imperial trade deal” and called upon its units to prepare for a prolonged struggle against what it termed the government’s “abject surrender to US imperialism”.

The AIKS statement comes amid reports that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s ongoing visit and negotiations with Indian authorities have brought the trade agreement close to finalisation.

According to the union, Rubio has publicly stated that the deal is “very close”, with US demands for access to India’s dairy market reportedly emerging as the final hurdle. Union Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal has also said that the agreement has reached the final stage of legal drafting, the statement noted.

Criticising the government for keeping Parliament in the dark about the proposed agreement’s details, the AIKS accused the BJP-led Union government of prioritising US interests over the livelihoods of Indian farmers. It also condemned what it described as the government’s attempt to portray the national interests of the two countries as identical.

“The ongoing visit of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the negotiations he reportedly led with Indian authorities to ‘finalise’ a trade deal between the US and India, demonstrate that the RSS-BJP-led Union government will go to any extent to please their imperial masters,” the AIKS said.

The AIKS argued that India urgently needs a fundamental reorganisation of its agricultural sector rather than policies that deepen dependence on foreign powers. It pointed to the government’s decision in September to reduce the basic import duty on crude soybean oil and palm oil from 10% to 5%, while also lowering duties on refined oils, as evidence of policies that could undermine domestic producers.

The timing of the duty reduction, the organisation said, was particularly damaging because it coincided with the beginning of the kharif soybean harvest.

Warning of the consequences of further concessions to the US, the AIKS said Indian soybean farmers would struggle to compete with heavily subsidised American agricultural producers. It identified Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Karnataka among the major soybean-producing states that could be affected by increased competition.

The proposed opening of India's dairy market also drew strong criticism. According to the AIKS, unrestricted access for foreign dairy products could threaten the daily incomes of Indian dairy farmers, as large-scale, heavily subsidised overseas producers could force down domestic procurement prices.

The organisation further warned that farmers cultivating maize and jowar for cattle feed, cotton growers, and producers of almonds, walnuts and apples could also face serious challenges under the proposed agreement.

“Concessions to the US would result in a dangerous level of corporate consolidation in Indian agriculture,” the statement said, arguing that the deal could weaken domestic producers while strengthening the position of large corporations.

The AIKS called upon farmers across the country to oppose the proposed agreement and prepare for a sustained movement against it. It warned the Modi government that proceeding with what it called an “anti-national trade deal” would provoke militant resistance from the peasantry.

The organisation also urged farmers to participate in large numbers in the Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s (SKM) march in Delhi on October 23, which it said would oppose the alleged manipulation of elections by the “neo-fascist” forces.