Congress: RCEP will hit India hard

New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday attacked the Central government for its plan to sign the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP), saying that the Indian economy is already in doldrums and signing of this free trade agreement with other countries will further cause hardships to Indian farmers and small traders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Bangkok for the RCEP negotiations meetings.

The Congress has alleged that RCEP pact will make India a dumping ground of Chinese goods. The party has announced to launch a nationwide mass agitation-cum-awareness programme from November 5-15 to “expose” the government about its “anti-people policies” and raise the issue of economic slowdown, unemployment and agrarian crisis.

During a meeting with party general secretaries, in-charge of states and heads of frontal organisations, Congress president Sonia Gandhi attacked the government for ignoring hardships and concerns of the people while it prepares to sign the RCEP. She alleged that instead of acknowledging the severe economic slowdown and looking for a comprehensive resolution, Modi is too busy “managing headlines and events.”  

Gandhi asked the party leaders to create awareness among people about the “anti-people policies” of this government.

“As if the government’s economic decisions have not damaged the economy enough, it is now ready to deal a body blow to it by signing the RCEP — the regional free trade agreement of 16 Asian countries. This will bring untold hardship for our farmers, shopkeepers, small and medium enterprises with serious repercussions. We can ill-afford to become a dumping ground for products – including agricultural produce from foreign countries,” she said.

On Saturday, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also tweeted that when the Indian economy is going through a slowdown signing RCEP agreement will prove disastrous.

“There is an economic slowdown in the country. Our policy right now should be such that our markets provide maximum help to farmers. In this environment, the RCEP will prove to be farmers’ destruction agreement. This will gobble up all the interests of the farmers of India, and their space for selling their produce will be limited,” Priyanka said.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, at a press conference, said that India should not be made a dumping ground of Chinese goods through RCEP.

“PM has gone to Bangkok to sign on RCEP. In 72 years, no one has signed free trade agreement with China which Modiji is doing. This will hit our small traders. What will happen to the Indian goods and products when the agricultural products from other countries will be sold in India after RCEP?” Mr Surjewala said.

“Indian economy is on ventilator and the government is having Kumbhkaran sleep (in deep slumber),” he added.

As per plans, the Congress will from November 5 to 15 hold nation-wide agitation to attract focus on unemployment, RCEP, agricultural and economic crisis by having events at district and zones. However, from November 1 to 8, the party leaders will hold press conference in 35 cities and in December there will be a mega rally in Delhi.

During the party meeting on Saturday, Gandhi talked about the economic crisis saying the GDP growth is at best only 5 per cent during the first quarter which is not just a six year low but also signifies deep crisis.

“This is a sign of weak demand, low consumption, no investment and, as a result, no jobs. Unemployment levels at nearly 8.5 per cent is most disturbing. Far from creating jobs, recent studies now suggest that demonetisation, a messed up GST and subsequent economic decisions of the Modi government have resulted in an unprecedented loss of 9 million jobs during the last 6 years,” Gandhi said.

She further alleged that the consistent weakening of institutions, withholding of data and tampering with statistics have all resulted in the erosion of India’s economic credibility.

“It is unfortunate that economic experts who point this out are ridiculed and labeled anti-nationals,” she added.