Protest Erupts in Punjab Against US VP Vance's Visit; Farmers to Burn Effigies on April 23-24

Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu): Protests have begun across India against the ongoing visit of US Vice President JD Vance. Farmer organizations, led by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have announced that effigies of the US Vice President and the Central Government will be burned on April 23 and 24 in multiple states, including Punjab, as a mark of strong opposition.

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher accused the United States of putting sustained pressure on India to withdraw subsidies from key sectors such as agriculture, dairy, and poultry. He warned that any agreement between India and the US in these sectors would be anti-farmer and detrimental to the livelihoods of millions of rural families.

The United Kisan Morcha (non-political) is expected to announce its next course of action later this evening. A press conference has been scheduled in Amritsar to outline the opposition’s stance in detail. Pandher further stated that farmers in Punjab and Haryana are already reeling from significant losses due to recent hailstorms and crop fires. He urged the state governments to provide immediate compensation and prioritize the Girdawari (crop damage assessment) process.

He reiterated that America’s push for India to open up its agricultural sector, particularly by ending subsidies, is a direct threat to farmers. The protest is aimed at resisting such external pressure and calling on all farmer unions, trade associations, and labor groups to unite in opposition to any such agreement. The four-day visit of JD Vance has sparked strong backlash from farmer communities who see the proposed deal as favoring multinational corporations at the expense of local agriculture.