‘India Will Never Compromise on Farmers’ Interests’: PM Modi’s Defiant Message to Trump Amid Tariff War
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday delivered a powerful and defiant message to the United States, declaring that India will never compromise on the interests of its farmers, even as trade tensions with the Trump administration reach a boiling point. His resolute statement comes just a day after US President Donald Trump imposed steep additional tariffs on Indian goods in retaliation for New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil.
“India will never compromise on the interests of its farmers, livestock rearers, and fishermen brothers and sisters,” PM Modi stated, directly addressing the escalating pressure from Washington. “I know personally that I will have to pay a heavy price for this, but I am prepared for it. India stands firmly with its farmers, and I am ready to face whatever it takes for their welfare.”
The Prime Minister’s remarks signal a hardening of India’s stance in the face of what it has termed “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable” punitive measures. The immediate trigger for the latest tariff hike is India’s energy trade with Russia, which the Ministry of External Affairs has defended as a necessity for the country’s energy security.
However, agriculture has long been a major and sensitive sticking point in bilateral trade negotiations. The US has persistently sought greater access for its agricultural and dairy products in the vast Indian market, a demand India has resisted to protect its large rural population dependent on farming and the system of Minimum Support Prices (MSP).
The fundamental differences over market access, subsidies, and food security priorities, compounded by concerns over genetically modified crops and potential disruption to local livelihoods, have made agriculture one of the most contentious areas in India-US trade talks.
A top government source said that farmers’ interests are paramount and that India would not bow to any pressure. PM Modi’s firm declaration now publicly reinforces this position, indicating that while the current dispute is framed around Russian oil, the underlying and more complex battleground of agricultural trade remains a non-negotiable red line for his government.
