After the trade deal worth Rs 45 lakh crore between India and America, the Central Government has described it as historic. While on one hand the opposition is calling this agreement harmful for the farmers, on the other hand the government has bluntly said that neither the interests of the agricultural sector have been compromised nor will the country’s energy security be allowed to be compromised. After Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, External Affairs Ministry and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan have clarified the government’s position in separate statements.
In the matter of energy security, the needs of 140 crore Indians are paramount.
After the deal with America, when Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal was asked whether India is stopping buying oil from Russia to make a deal with Trump, he said that the Ministry of External Affairs will answer this question. Now the Ministry of External Affairs has clarified the position on India’s strategy regarding energy purchase. Amid global uncertainties and changing international dynamics, the ministry has said that “ensuring energy security of 140 crore Indians is the top priority of the government”.
“Diversifying our energy sources is at the core of our strategy, taking into account objective market conditions and evolving international dynamics,” the MEA said in a statement. This simply means that India will not depend on any one country to meet its energy needs and will purchase energy resources from wherever there is a better option in the national interest. This statement has come at a time when the equations of energy trade are changing rapidly at the global level.
Farmers’ interest completely protected
Shivraj Singh Chauhan Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan on Saturday rejected the opposition’s claims that the India-US trade agreement will ruin Indian farmers. He stressed that “the interests of Indian farmers have been fully protected” under this agreement.
This statement of Chauhan is important because in trade talks, America has often demanded market access in sensitive sectors like dairy and grains. The Agriculture Minister’s statement indicates that India has not crossed its ‘red lines’. The government’s clarification is an attempt to allay concerns that dumping of American agricultural products could affect the livelihoods of Indian farmers.
Opposition vs Government: Battle of Narratives
Opposition parties have been continuously alleging that any hasty agreement with the US could be fatal for India’s domestic industries, especially agriculture and MSMEs. However, Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s statement has made it clear that the government is moving ahead with a ‘protective and strategic’ approach.
The Government of India has made its stand clear on two fronts simultaneously. First, to explore export opportunities while protecting sensitive products in agriculture (such as dairy and grains), and second, to keep our energy diplomacy independent. This shows that India is keen to achieve the $500 billion (Rs 45 lakh crore) trade target, but not at the cost of its own terms and national interests. Now it will be interesting to see how the opposition reacts to this assurance.
