New Delhi, Mar 8 (PTI) Functionaries of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch and the Swavalambi Bharat Abhiyan will hold a two-day meeting in Chhattisgarh from Sunday to discuss a host of issues, including strengthening India's economy amid a changing geopolitical scenario and the Trump administration's policy of reciprocal tariffs.

The two-day national council meeting will be held at Agrasen Dham in Raipur, Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan said in a statement on Saturday.

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"Right from its inception, the SJM has been fighting against unequal World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements adversely impacting our public health, farmers, industry and the common man. For the last eight years, since Donald Trump first took over as US president, the WTO, which was a major tool for conducting global trade, has been losing its sheen," Mahajan said.

The decisions taken by the US president in the very beginning of his second term have further accelerated the pace of the WTO's decline and concerns are being expressed all over the world about its future, he added.

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"Now, when post Trump's policy of unilateral increase in tariffs, what the US calls reciprocal tariffs, has attacked the very basis of the WTO, the SJM's stand has been vindicated. At this moment, this national council is supposed to deliberate on these issues, for future course of action for the society in general and policymakers in particular," Mahajan said.

The two-day meeting will deliberate on strengthening the national economy on the indigenous model, formulating policy to promote local production, outlining new programmes to motivate youngsters towards start-ups and entrepreneurship, innovation for self-reliance in indigenous trade, he said.

The meeting will also deliberate on the industry and the agriculture sectors and seek to find ways to develop indigenous technology in the digital age, he added.

"As per the changing geopolitical developments, what should be India's indigenous model will also be seriously considered," the SJM leader said.

A progress report of the activities of the Swavalambi Bharat Abhiyan at the state, regional and the national levels will also be presented, Mahajan said.

The Swavalambi Bharat Abhiyan, launched by several Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-affiliates, including the SJM, four years ago, seeks to inspire youngsters to become "job givers from job seekers".

"Under the Swavalambi Bharat Abhiyan, more than 32 organisations are working to inspire the youngsters to become 'job givers from job seekers'. Under this campaign, work is being done on a large scale in more than 500 districts," Mahajan said.

"Emphasis is being laid on promoting indigenous industries, cottage industries and small industries. Entrepreneurship, start-ups, local production, agriculture-based industries and handicrafts are being encouraged as the main means of self-reliance," he added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)