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Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has strongly objected to the draft text on agriculture and said some countries are pushing for a deal on phasing out export subsidies with "some
undue haste". RSS-affiliates Swadeshi Jagran Manch and Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh have rejected the draft on agriculture at the WTO's ministerial conference, saying it is
"absolutely against" the interests of farmers of India and other developing countries. "We NGO's gathered at Nairobi for 10th Ministerial Conference of WTO commonly and
severely condemn the Agriculture Draft circulated by WTO facilitator. The proposed draft is absolutely against the interest of farmers of India and other developing and least developed
countries," Swadesh Jagran Manch's national co-convener Ashwani Mahajan said. "The said proposed draft should not be accepted as it goes against the aspiration of vast masses
and farmers of developing countries and is also in contradiction with the statement made by G-33 and India's statement on the issue," he said. Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
has strongly objected to the draft text on agriculture and said some countries are pushing for a deal on phasing out export subsidies with "some undue haste". Mahajan said that the
Commerce Minister has taken a timely stand against this issue as the draft "is a breach of trust and sinister endeavour against the WTO members". Among the signatories to this
include NGOs like Swadeshi Jagran Manch, GMGC, Shram Seva Nyas, Bhartiya Krishak Samaj and Bhartiya Majdoor Sangh. Earlier, the Manch in its memorandum to WTO urged the world body that core
issues such as agriculture, market access and services must remain on the agenda. "As per DG's Statement (Para 23 of Draft Nairobi Ministerial Declaration), WTO is not clear how
negotiations on these issues shall progress - whether old framework shall remain or new architecture is to be evolved? "We endorse government of India s view that old framework should
continue inter alia with the Bali Work Programme. Though the Draft Declaration confirms that principle of Special and Differential Treatment (SDT) and Less than Full Reciprocity shall remain
the integral part, but news are that major industrialised countries like USA, EU, Australia and Japan are threatening that if the developing countries insist on Doha Development Agenda then
they have to compromise on SDT and less than full reciprocity." Mahajan said, "We strongly oppose the efforts of developed countries linking SSM to agriculture market access. We
want SSM to protect our farmers and their livelihood against import surge."