New Delhi: A day before Republic Day celebrations in the country, All India Kisan Sabha on Saturday protested against the visit of Brazil President Jair Messias Bolsonaro and condemned the government's decision for inviting him as the chief guest for 71st Republic Day.
N K Shukla, general secretary of All India Sugarcane Farmers' Federation (AISFF), an affiliate of CPIM's farmer body All India Kisan Sabha, said that Brazil, the world's largest sugarcane producer, along with Australia and Guatemala had moved the World Trade Organisation against India objecting to the fair and remunerative price for sugarcane growers here. The country had alleged that India's sugar subsidies are inconsistent with global trade rules and distorting the sugar market.
"He (Bolsonaro) wants sugarcane industry and sugarcane farmers in India get destroyed. Brazil is a good sugarcane producing country and so he wants to capture the Indian market for the sale of sugar," added NK Shukla.
Students Federation of India (SFI) national general secretary Mayukh Biswas said Indian farmers are being directly threatened and especially the livelihoods of the sugarcane farmers in India will be adversely affected by Brazilian moves against India in the WTO.
"All the policies of Bolsonaro is nothing but another replica of Nazi and that is why we are here. Like what Bolsonaro is implementing in Brazil, the same policy is being implemented by PM Modi in our country also. When the fascists of the world are getting united, we the students of this country are united to smash the fascist regime," added Mayukh Biswas.
Brazil has claimed that India has increased its Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) from Rs 1,391.20/tonne in 2010-11 to Rs 2750/tonne in 2018-19 and the State Advised Price was also questioned. India's assistance if Rs 5500 crore to support the sugar industry in 2018-19 was also questioned.
According to AISFF, the sugarcane farmers in India are not even getting the meagre price prices which are termed Fair and Remunerative Prices. Cane arrears are rising and is reported to be more than Rs 24,000 crores.
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