[Marxistindia] Resist US Pressures

[news from the cpi(m)]

February 24, 2020
 
Press Statement
 
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the
following statement:
 
Heed the Voice of the People: Resist US Pressures
 
The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) calls upon the Modi government not to succumb
to the unilateral agenda of US President, Donald Trump on his visit to
India. The singular intention of the US administration is to further prise
open Indian economy to boost the US corporate interest and thus help the
reelection bid of Trump.  
 
The US agenda will most adversely affect the interests of the Indian
farmers, our agriculture and in particular the dairy and poultry sectors.
USA allows its agribusiness to distort prices to outcompete local farmers in
the developing countries with a subsidy of a whopping $ 867 billion.  Trump
wants India to now remove the tariff barrier which serves as a policy tool
to protect the Indian farmers, food procurement for people's food security
and minimum support price to our farmers.  This will destroy Indian
agriculture and the livelihood of crores of our people.   
 
Trump is also targeting India's health care sector which, at present, is a
critical producer of affordable generic medicines.  USA now demands that
India must remove the compulsory licensing for the benefit of mega US
pharmaceutical corporations.  
 
The US corporate agenda on e-commerce is equally invasive which is trying to
cajole India to sign the digital trade regime at WTO which would allow US
big-tech to increase their control over the economy and the political
process and facilitate free cross border data flows without compensation.
At the same time, the Indian government must insist on US restrictive policy
on HIB visas which is adversely affecting Indian IT industry.  
 
Pressures are being exerted on export subsidy for small manufactures
especially in fields like solar cell manufacturing.
 
With India suffering major pollution and climate change related challenges,
the US has unilaterally backed out of the Paris agreement on United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change and refusing to compensate and
finance the climate change mitigation fund.  The government of India has to
resist this climate unilateralism and build resistance to force the US to
accept its responsibility as the biggest historical emitter of Green House
gases.
 
The USA today represents the biggest threat to a rule-based trading system
and international order and undermines the security of livelihood and
sovereignty of nations like India. The tariff unilateralism has already led
to 46 per cent reduction of steel product exports in the last one year.  The
unilateral reclassification of India, as a developed country, will result in
withdrawal of provisions for special and differential treatment necessary
for flexible commitments and longer implementation period.  
 
The pressure exerted by several military and security agreements and the
insistence to implement them to secure US strategic interests and promote
its weapon sales is detrimental to India's sovereign interests and security
concerns.  
 
The Polit Bureau calls upon the BJP government to resist such US pressures
which undermine India's economy and security concerns. India, under this BJP
government, is being reduced to the status of a subordinate ally of US
imperialism which is against the interests of India and its independent
stature in the world.  
 
The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) hails the protest this visit of US President
Trump. The BJP government must heed this voice of the people and not succumb
to US pressures. 
 
 
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