Mysuru, Nov.5- Maintaining that the farming, sericulture and dairy sectors of the country will be badly hurt if India signs the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Participation) agreement, former Chamarajanagar MP R. Dhruvanarayan has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to sign the RCEP agreement. He was speaking at a seminar on ‘RCEP: The effects on Rural Economy,’ organised jointly by Dalita Vidyarthi Okkoota and University of Mysore (UoM) Research Students Association at the Humanities Auditorium in Manasagangothri here yesterday.

Claiming that Prime Minister Modi is thinking of signing the agreement, which is aimed at providing a market to Chinese goods banned by America, Dhruvanarayan said that India is second in the world in silk production and the agreement will spell doom for the silk industry.

Pointing out the way ahead before us  is to strongly oppose the agreement by launching movements, he exhorted the students to take to the streets against the RCEP agreement which is disastrous for our country.

Recalling the success of our Dairy industry, the former MP said that the country tops the world in milk production and the agreement will sound a death knell for dairy farming.

Noting that the RCEP will badly affect the citizens as well, he urged the Prime Minister not to sign the agreement in the larger interests of our country.

Earlier, UoM  Registrar Prof. R. Shivappa inaugurated the seminar. UoM  Department of Studies in Economics faculty D.V. Gopalappa presided.

National Milk Producers Federation former Managing Director Srikanth Aradhya, former KMF MD  A.S. Premnath, KRRS President Badagalapura Nagendra, APMC former Vice-President Chikkajavaraiah, UoM Research Students Association President S. Maridevaiah and Dalita Vidyarthi Okkoota President R. Sandesh were present.