Punjab farmers hold protest over RCEP

A large number of farmers on Sunday staged protests in Punjab, accusing the Centre of failing to address concerns over RCEP agreement, a mega free trade deal being negotiated by 16 countries.

Some protesting farmers claimed that the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement will be detrimental to their interests and India should keep itself out of it.

The farmers, under the banner of Kisan Mazdoor Sangarsh Samiti, held protests at different places, including Amritsar, Moga, Ferozepur and Jalandhar, and raised slogans against the Centre. They also burnt effigies and disrupted vehicular movement at some places.

"The government has failed to address our concerns regarding the free trade agreement. This agreement is not in our interest and economy of local farmers will be ruined," a Samiti member said.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement is being negotiated among 10 ASEAN members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) and their six trade partners - Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea and New Zealand.