Mangalore: Farmers from across south India protest against WTO summit

Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore

Mangalore, Dec 3: Hundreds of protestors from states across south India gathered at the main entrance of New Mangalore Port Trust here on Tuesday December 3 demanding that India back out of the World Trade Organization (WTO) summit being held in Bali, Indonesia.

The protest was jointly led by Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) and Hasiru Sene, Tamil Nadu Farmers' Movement, Kerala Cocount Farmers' Association and Shetkari Sanghatana from Maharasthra.

The venue for the protest was chosen as NMPT is the main hub for import in the region.

The protestors expressed their dissatisfaction with limiting of subsidy on agriculture produce by the WTO, and facilitation of cheap, duty-free import of agricultural produce by the Free Trade Association.

The farmers who were part of the protest pointed out that they would get more for their crops if the government stopped cheap imports from countries like Brazil. They complained that due to import of products that are also grown in India, such as coffee, the indigenous produce fails to fetch buyers.

KRRS general secretary K T Gangadhar said that import of crops was adversely affecting Indian farmers and pushing them to suicide. He futher said that if subsidies are stopped as per WTO policies, there would be increase in farmer suicides in the country. He urged the government to boycott the WTO meet in Bali in the interest of farmers.

A sugarcane farmer from Mandya said that duty-free imports of sugar from Brazil and Malaysia were affecting farmers in the country.

The protestors demanded imposition of taxes on all agricultural imports so that farmers here would get better profits for their yields.

They also burnt an effigy signifying WTO to drive home their point.