Interaction with Farmers and farmers’s Representatives

Interaction with Farmers and Farmers’ Representatives

Day 50, Bharat Jodo Yatra, Bondalkunta, Narayanpet, Telangana

Congress in Telangana to consult farmers, women farmers, farmer suicide widows, tenant farmers before making manifesto for the coming assembly elections in the state.
This assurance was given by the Member of Parliament and Senior Congress leader Mr Rahul Gandhi with an interaction with farmers during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which is presently moving through Telangana. ‘I am happy to facilitate such a conversation with all the stakeholders in agriculture and decide what should be placed in the election manifesto.’

‘There is no magic bullet to solve the problems of the farmers,’ Mr Gandhi said. ‘There has to be a strategy for agriculture in the state and it must have multiple elements.

‘I believe there has to be a basic minimum support for the poor of the country. It is a powerful idea. And that was the thinking behind MGNREGA and NYAY schemes,’ he said.

Mr Gandhi responded to the plight of the farmers and women farmers present at the interaction. On schemes being misused he said, ‘Money meant for farmers should not be paid to land-owners who are not doing agriculture.

He also said that that farmer widows must get the land after farmer suicides and tenant farmers should get lease documents.

Speaking to the media later, Member of Parliament, Jairam Ramesh said, ‘Tenant farmers must get any scheme for crop insurance or direct income support.

Earlier in the interaction, farmer suicide widow, Ms Manjula, from Vikarabad district, spoke of the hardships she has been facing since the death of her husband in 2021.

I have a pending private loan of Rs 7 lakh, which I have inherited from my husband. I have no options to repay the loan, and I cannot even afford education of my children.

Ms Saroja from Nalgonda, who is also a widow of farmer suicide said that her husband had killed himself due to pressure from creditors. Neither of these widows have received any compensation from the government. The Telangana government has not studied any farmer suicide case since 2018.

Tenant farmer Malkhanna from Adilabad listed the problems their community faces. ‘We do not get support of any kind. We do not get Rythu Bandhu or any other scheme for farmers.’ He also stated that tenant farmers do not get any crop loss compensation.