The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella organization of Indian farm unions, launched nationwide protests today, July 22, 2026, against the proposed India-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and other international trade pacts. The farmers' body has called for presidential intervention, urging President Droupadi Murmu to halt these agreements.
SKM's Demands to the President
In an open letter addressed to President Murmu, the SKM requested her to "instruct Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to sign the India-US Free Trade Agreement." Furthermore, they demanded the repeal of all previously signed FTAs and a comprehensive discussion in Parliament regarding their potential impact on India's economy, self-reliance, and national sovereignty.
The farmers' union accused the government of negotiating these trade agreements without sufficient public scrutiny, describing them as a "profound betrayal of India's national interest" and a "blueprint for economic colonisation."
Why Farmers Oppose the FTAs
The SKM argues that the proposed trade agreements would open India's markets to heavily subsidized agricultural and industrial products from countries like the United States and European Union members. This influx, they claim, would severely harm domestic producers.
- Impact on Farmers: The agreements could "devastate crores of small and marginal farmers" by depressing domestic prices and reducing incomes due to increased imports of subsidized dairy products, processed food, and edible oils.
- Threat to MSMEs: The micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) sector is also expected to be adversely affected by increased competition from foreign industrial goods.
The organization has also demanded that all documents related to the ongoing FTA negotiations be made public and debated in Parliament, emphasizing that agreements with such long-term economic implications should not be finalized without legislative oversight.
Nationwide Protest Actions
The SKM has designated July 22, 2026, as "Farmers' Pledge Day against FTAs." As part of their protest program:
- Public meetings are being held in villages across the country, where farmers are pledging to continue their agitation until the trade agreements are repealed, drawing parallels to the 2020-21 farmers' protests.
- State coordination committees and constituent organizations of SKM are staging demonstrations outside the offices of NDA Members of Parliament.
- Protesters are burning effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump.
- Toll plazas are being opened to traffic free of charge from noon to 3 PM.
Solidarity with Student Protests
In addition to their anti-FTA campaign, the SKM has extended support to recent student protests in Delhi. The farmers' body condemned the police's use of lathicharge and tear gas against students on Monday. They announced plans to burn effigies of Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday in protest of the police action. The SKM also backed the students' demands, which include the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the abolition of the National Testing Agency (NTA), and compensation of ₹1 crore each for families of students who allegedly died by suicide due to examination-related stress.