Latest


RSS arm starts stir against free trade agreement

  •   Thu, Oct 10 2019 11:25:16 AM

New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS): Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's (RSS) offshoot Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) announced a 10-day nationwide protest against the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the 16 country Free Trade Agreement (FTA), between October 10-20 in all the district centres, and also announced that it will be submitting a Memorandum to Prime Minister through District Magistrate in each district.

RCEP is a mega free trade agreement of 10 ASEAN countries with their six FTA partners, India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. The pact aims to cover the trade in goods and services, as well as investment, intellectual property and dispute resolution.

The RSS offshoot has demanded that government must not sign RCEP, claiming that it would push the present and future generations to joblessness and poverty. The wing has also demanded to urgently publish the studies carried out by the government on the performance of FTA and finalise and publish the parliamentary standing committee report on FTA.

The Ministries led by Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar, Textile Minister Smriti Irani, Steel Minister Dharamedra Pradhan, Mines and Minerals Ministry of Prahlad Patel have already either opposed the deal or are seeking protection for farmers and domestic industry.

"The nation is currently facing a crisis in both manufacturing and agriculture which is resulting in job losses. Though the crisis in the manufacturing is due to the lack of a comprehensive industrial policy since 1991; the FTAs India has signed in the last decade play a major role by allowing cheap imports and hollowing out of Indian manufacturing," the Swadeshi Jagran Manch said in a press release.

"RCEP would effectively function as a FTA with China. The trade deficit with China is at an alarming level of $54 billion. It is a well-known fact that the non-tariff barriers are the main cause of denial of market access to China. There is nothing in the ARCEP to effectively discipline the non- tariff barriers (such as Mutual Recognition Agreements) and its exclusive focus on tariff reduction would be bringing an end to Indian manufacturing," the release added.

The Ministries fear cheaper dumps from China will wipe out local players, while the dairy industry fears Australian and New Zealand imports.
  

Top Stories

Comment on this article

  • francis lobo, Mangalore

    Thu, Oct 10 2019

    India can walk out of this treaty easily by not signing. That's all. So why protest on the street has anybody forced government to Sign. Trump did not sign a treaty during the recent visit of PM and we are happy to live with the USA . So why not with RCEP. We have our neighbors who are not part of RECEP who will buy material from us. NO FTA means no china, japan, Australia and New Zealand. We don't want milk and also BEEF and we will not sell our goods to these countries. But what will happen to ASEAN agreement which Malaysia is talking that they will sign even without India

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse


Leave a Comment

Title: RSS arm starts stir against free trade agreement



You have 2000 characters left.

Disclaimer:

Please write your correct name and email address. Kindly do not post any personal, abusive, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, discriminatory or unlawful or similar comments. Daijiworld.com will not be responsible for any defamatory message posted under this article.

Please note that sending false messages to insult, defame, intimidate, mislead or deceive people or to intentionally cause public disorder is punishable under law. It is obligatory on Daijiworld to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request.

Hence, sending offensive comments using daijiworld will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Daijiworld.com be held responsible.

You might also like