Madhya Pradesh’s political landscape heats up as Congress schedules a high-stakes farmers’ mahapanchayat in Bhopal on February 24. Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge’s presence underscores the party’s fierce opposition to the India-US trade deal, portrayed as a direct assault on Indian farmers’ livelihoods.
Expected to draw massive crowds, the rally will dissect the agreement’s fallout. State in-charge Harish Chaudhary invoked dark chapters from the 1965-1971 era when America halted food aid, pushing India towards self-reliance via Green Revolution triumphs. He warned of soybeans and cotton imports crippling local economies, urging vigilance against repeating past vulnerabilities.
Provincial president Jitu Patwari passionately defended agriculture’s pivotal role in India’s freedom struggle legacy, accusing Modi of corporate sellouts. ‘Farmers won’t stay silent,’ he vowed, unveiling a campaign launch from Bhopal, featuring a chaupal in Budhni and padyatra from Vidisha to rally nationwide support.
Assembly opposition head Umang Singhar branded the pact a national betrayal, laced with intrigue and favoritism towards adversaries like Pakistan. ‘Our farmers can’t compete with subsidized US products yet,’ he noted.
As the event looms, it promises to catalyze a sustained movement, positioning Congress as farmers’ staunchest defender against perceived governmental overreach in trade negotiations.