Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, currently on a tour of Mahoba in Bundelkhand, charged the Central and State governments of sleeping over the plight of the region forcing debt- ridden farmers either to commit suicide or relocate in search of a better future. He alleged that the UPA government had given a package of Rs 7200 crores for Bundelkhand but the SP and the previous BSP governments misused them.
Appealing to the people of the region not to take the extreme step and fight for their rights, Rahul said his party will fight from the streets upto the Parliament over the issue. Rahul who led a seven km-long padyatra in Charkhari area of Mahoba to highlight the ordeal of the locals, said that it was unfortunate that the political parties who had promised to end the miseries were not at all concerned with the farmers and ‘enjoying’ their plight.
Attacking the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre, Rahul said that the PM was busy in taking selfies, visiting foreign countries and a select number of industrialists were minting money. He also took a swipe at Modi saying he should think about farmers and labourers too and not just industrialists and give more funds for the backward region.
Referring to Modi becoming ‘emotional’ on Friday while expressing grief over the suicide by a dalit scholar at Hyderabad University, Rahul said, “On Friday, we saw Modiji becoming emotional...he paused during his speech (at BBAU convocation) and had tears in his eyes...I want to say Modiji the food you eat, the pulse which is today selling at Rs 220 is provided to you by farmers.”
Addressing villagers during his march, the Congress leader demanded that some of funds saved by the Central government due to decline in crude oil prices be diverted to Bundelkhand region.
“During the UPA regime, price of crude petroleum was USD 150 per barrel, whereas now it has fallen to just USD 28. A lot of money saved here can be used for development of such backward regions like Bundelkhand,” he said.
The Congress leader also sought more funds for the development of the parched region. Rahul, at the same time, said the entire money saved need not be pumped into the region, but at least a portion of it can be utilised.
Touching a major issues of migration from this region, Rahul said that had the Union government and the State government earnestly implemented the MNREGS programme, the exodus could have been checked. Rahul also congratulated partymen “for standing by the farmers and labourers in their crisis and fighting for them. Party workers briefed Rahul on the condition of dalits and tribals in Panna, Tikamgarh, Chhattarpur and Damoh districts. He also patiently heard the grievances of farmers during the ‘padyatra’ and assured them of taking up their issues in Parliament during the upcoming Budget session.
As per 2011 census, Bundelkhand region is home to 18.3 million people and is blighted with drought and unseasonable rains that have destroyed standing winter crops. In the past few years, several farmers have committed suicide allegedly due to poor produce in 13 districts of the region. The promised compensation by state government has failed to reach the needy. With no money for seeds and no water for irrigation, farmers have become desperate. For the Opposition parties, Bundelkhand promises to be a land of huge ‘poll’ prospects with the Assembly elections barely a year away. Earlier a month back, Rahul Gandhi had visited western UP to interact with sugarcane growers who were hit hard due to failure of sugar mills to pay their arrears.