RSS affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch says it supports govt stand on India-US FTA, flays Trump tariff

RSS affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) has expressed deep concern over US President Donald Trump’s recent statement threatening “unspecified penalties” against India’s trade ties with Russia, in addition to the already announced 25% tariff hike.

India’s sovereign right to procure defence equipment to strengthen self-reliance in defence production and to secure crude oil at the most competitive prices—essential to keeping domestic inflation under check—cannot be subjected to external pressure, SJM has stated.

“If Washington believes that such coercive tactics can sway India’s decisions, it must recognise that today’s India is not the India of a decade ago. We are emerging as a global power, demonstrated decisively during Operation Sindoor, and committed to building robust indigenous capabilities in arms production. The United States, too, needs to move beyond the inertia of a unipolar worldview and embrace the reality of a multipolar, cooperative order”, said Ashwani Mahajan, National Co- Convener, SJM.

“It is unfortunate that the US has chosen to adopt punitive measures against a strategic partner at a time when the world must collectively respond to the far greater challenge posed by China’s weaponization of trade and global value chains. Beijing’s restrictions on rare earth exports are causing huge harm to manufacturing capacities worldwide. Rather than resorting to pressure, the US and India should strengthen cooperation to build resilient, diversified, and equitable global supply chains”, Mahajan said.

SJM congratulated the government for standing firm against pressure during the ongoing India–US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations. “Despite threats of reciprocal tariffs and the missed deadlines of July 9 and July 31, Indian negotiators have rightly resisted attempts to force open our markets to genetically modified (GM) agricultural products, dairy imports, and other sensitive sectors”, the organization said in a statement.

“The key sticking points in the current negotiations remain the US demand for market access for GM crops, deregulation of medical devices, and unrestricted cross-border data flows. India, on the other hand, has legitimately sought exemptions from steel, automobile, and pharmaceutical tariffs and defended its policy of data localisation. India’s principled stand—that GM food imports threaten both our biodiversity and food security, and that sensitive data must remain within sovereign control—is fully aligned with our long-term national interest”, Mahajan pointed out.

SJM also called for diversification of trade beyond traditional partners, deepening ties with Latin America, Africa, the expanded BRICS bloc, and the Global South to be better prepared against the pressure tactics of the US.