Farmers’ outfits raise call to burn effigies of Modi, Trump, Vance as mark of protest against trade treaty

Activists of Samyukt Kisan Morcha shout slogans during a protest against the visit of U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance to India, in Hyderabad, India, Monday, April 21, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella organisation of several farmers’ outfits, gave a call on Monday (April 21, 2025) to burn the effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, United States President Donald Trump and U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance at all district headquarters as a mark of protest against alleged attempts by the U.S. to “coerce” the Union government to “impose unfair trade terms and to dump U.S. agricultural products” on India.

The SKM general body, which met in the national capital on Sunday, said in a statement that the the U.S.’s aims to get unregulated access for their food chains, trading giants and agribusiness corporations to operate in India.

“Tariff-free import of huge quantities of highly subsidised milk and milk products, soybean, cotton, wheat, rice, pulses, oilseeds, genetically modified crops, fruits and vegetables, processed and canned foods into Indian markets will devastate the income and livelihood of Indian peasantry,” the SKM said.

The farmers’ body added that the Trump administration had been putting pressure on the Modi government to wind up the public distribution system and withdraw all subsidies for farmers on fuel and fertilizers. “It wants India to change its patent laws to suit American companies. These changes will erode the independence of Indian farmers and bring disastrous impact on food security of Indian people,” the statement said.

The district-level meetings of the SKM seek to highlight the impact of the U.S.-India bilateral trade agreement and the National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing.

The SKM general body also decided to work in coordination with the trade unions, agricultural workers unions and MGNREGA workers unions for the success of a general strike of workers on May 20 against the four Labour Codes.

The SKM meeting also decided to launch specific campaigns, including mahapanchayats, in Bihar ahead of the Assembly election to defeat the National Democratic Alliance in the State. “SKM all India leadership will attend the campaign,” the release added.