In yet another attempt to manipulate the aggrieved farmers, Congress President has made a hollow promise that farmers loans will be waived off within 10 days in Madhya Pradesh if Congress is voted to power. Rahul Gandhi made this promise while speaking at a rally in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh.
This is not for the first time that Congress President Rahul Gandhi has attempted to use farmers reeling under debt for political purposes. Even before the Karnataka polls, the Congress had tried to politicise the issue of agrarian distress in order to make electoral gains. Even at that time it had made the promise of waiving farm loans if it came to power. Farmers in the state were in great distress during the Congress tenure but the Siddaramaiah government had mercilessly denied any farm loan waiver. At that time the Congress had rejected all demands made by the BJP to waive farm loans and had stated that since Karnataka farmers were repaying most of the loans, there was no need to waive any farm loans. This heartless comment came at a time when Karnataka was reeling under a severe drought. 160 of its 177 talukas had been declared drought-hit. While the Congress was promising that it will waive farmer loans if re-elected, it did not clarify why no action was taken when the Congress was in power and the farmers were suffering.
Even after bypassing the public mandate by forging an unholy alliance with the JD (S), it seems that not much has happened as far waiving farmer loans in Karnataka is concerned. As opposed to what was promised before elections, there is no clarity as to whether the ruling JD (S)-Congress coalition is going to waive farmer loans. In fact, after forming the government with the Congress, Chief Minister Kumaraswamy made it clear that he can take a call on the issue of waiving farmer loans only after the Congress sanctions such a demand. In a shameless confession of forming a government against the public mandate, Kumaraswamy made it clear while speaking at a meeting with farmers association and organisations in Bengaluru, that his allegiance lies with Rahul Gandhi and not with the people of Karnataka. Therefore, he will not waive farmer loans unless the Congress approves such a demand. Ever since Kumaraswamy has taken charge of the Karnataka government, he has made it clear that he is indebted to the Congress and not to the people of Karnataka. He is as good a chief minister as Manmohan was a prime minister. In such circumstances, it must be assumed that the Congress is responsible for the fact that the sitting government has taken no positive action as far as this issue is concerned. Even though, Kumaraswamy has made yet another promise of waiving farmer loans within 15 days but it has to be seen if this is yet another hollow promise or this is just a political gimmick by the JD (S) and the Congress.
As opposed to how the Congress and the JD (S) have gone back on their words, previous Karnataka chief minister Yeddyurappa had instantly taken a firm step to fulfil the poll promise of waiving farmer loans made by the BJP. Yeddyurappa government had undertaken to waive loans upto the value of Rs. 1 lakh and the decision was to cost Rs. 12,000 crore directly benefiting the farmers in the state. However, the JD (S)-Congress coalition was desperate to usurp political power and therefore, this strong decision that would have ended farmers’ woes in the state was abandoned midway.
The way the Congress has betrayed the farmers of Karnataka, there is no reason why Rahul Gandhi’s promise to waive farm loans in Madhya Pradesh must be trusted. Welfare of farmers, like all other issues, is a mere political gimmick for the Congress. In fact, this brings the intent and reliability of the Congress under scanner. Congress was unable to woo farmers in Karnataka by making a false promise and with that we can expect that the Congress will be outrightly rejected in Madhya Pradesh.