‘India has to choose its path’: Shivraj Singh Chouhan pitches self-reliance; says tariffs are new weapons

India will not be yielding to external pressure even as the world continues to grapple with the weaponisation of trade and tariffs, agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Thursday.Speaking at the 120th Annual General Meeting of the PHD chamber of commerce and industry, Chouhan said PM Narendra Modi has made it clear that while India values its role as a “global brother” and is concerned about world affairs, the nation’s interests must remain the top priority.“Amid volatile geopolitical situation where nations are fighting with each other, where trade and tariffs are treated as weapons, where nations are ruling the world at their whims…. In such a situation, India has to choose its path. We will not come under pressure of anyone. Protecting our country’s interest is our duty and it is necessary for global peace. A responsible country like India should rise.”Chouhan said that the country must strengthen its food security instead of relying on global markets.“In the current situation, one cannot rely on the global market for food. Therefore, we have to become self-reliant,” he said.The agri minister highlighted that almost half of India’s population, 46%, depends directly on agriculture for their livelihoods, making it crucial to develop the sector even as efforts continue to reduce this dependency.Recalling India’s past reliance on American food aid under the PL480 programme, he noted how far the country has come. “There were times when a prime minister in the past had to tell people to keep fast once a week. But now, 80 crore people are given free ration,” he said, pointing out that godowns are now full of rice and wheat.Yet, Chouhan emphasised that strengthening agriculture is still necessary, not just for food security but also to improve farmers’ incomes.He said the government is working on six key areas, with a focus on boosting productivity. “In rice and wheat, we are at the global average, but in pulses and oilseeds we lag. We should become self-reliant in pulses and edible oils,” he said.The minister also spoke about the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) developing better quality seeds. With genetically modified crops not permitted in India, genome editing is being used to create hybrid seeds, showing “encouraging success,” he added.Chouhan called for greater mechanisation and growth in food processing, while keeping small farmers in mind, stressing that everyone has a role in building a ‘Viksit Bharat.’