Newskarnataka – Mangalore

Mangalore: A protest was jointly organized by Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) and Hasiru Sene, Tamil Nadu Farmers Movement, Kerala Cocount Farmers Association, Shetkari Sanghatana from Maharasthra and various other regions agitating on WTO summit to be held in Bali, Indonesia on Tuesday December 3.

The protest staged in front of New Mangalore Port Trust was held demanding to back out India from the World Trade Organization (WTO) summit.

Addressing the protestors, KRRS general secretary K T Gangadhar said, “Import of crops from other countries to India was adversely affecting the farmers and pressurizing them to commit suicide.”

“If government stops subsidies as per WTO policies, then the number of farmer’s suicide will increase; thus the government must boycott the WTO meet taking place in Bali for the benefit of farmers”, he added.

The farmers protested raising issues such as; they would get more for their crops if the government stopped cheap imports from countries like Brazil., they complained that due to import of products that are also grown in India, they also expressed their dissatisfaction over the limited subsidy on agriculture produce by the WTO and duty-free import of agricultural products by the Free Trade Association.

The protestors also burnt an effigy signifying WTO during the protest.