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Sonia plans attack on farmers' policy

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi is all set to launch a comprehensive attack on the Vajpayee Government's agricultural policy, at a rally on February 22, two days before the Union Budget session of Parliament.

"Madame Gandhi's speech at the rally will expose the government's misdeeds and all-round failure in its agricultural policies, which have driven the bulk of poor farmers to desperate acts, including suicide," pointed out Dr Balram Jakhar, senior party leader and expert on agricultural policies.

Congress leaders from various states met at the party Akbar Road headquarters on Saturday to discuss how best the government could be collared and put on the mat for alleged failure in its agricultural policies.

Party spokesman Anil Shastri pointed out that people were being mobilised for the "massive rally" from northern India and party activists would fan out the region.

He indicated that the party chief's speech would be a detailed refinement of one in which she delivered in the Lok Sabha during the winter session of Parliament. Sonia had launched a broadside against the National Democratic Alliance Government of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, underscoring that its agricultural and other policies had virtually ruined the downtrodden masses, including poor farmers.

According to Jakhar, the party leadership feels that the government's "failed agricultural policies" brought about an upsurge of discontentment among the masses, which needs to be highlighted.

"Poor common people, including farmers, have nowhere to go, thanks to the government's myopia in its agricultural policies. Their agricultural produce is rotting with them because the government has refused to buy it, citing implausible reasons. Thanks to this government, the farmers have little fertlisers, they have to reckon with expensive diesel and they cannot sell foodgrains since the government says it does not have storage space at Food Corporation of India godowns. This is an utterly shocking state of affairs for which the prime minister and his government have to take the rap," Dr Jakhar underlined.

Shastri indicated that the rally had been planned on the eve of Parliament's Budget session so that people could be aware that despite its assertions to the contrary, its agricultural policies had markedly failed to deliver the goods to the people.

"Even during the previous session, the prime minister had said that there was nothing wrong with his government's agricultural policies. But suicides among poor farmers are being reported from various parts. The masses are unable to buy fertilisers, diesel for tractors and cannot get money because their foodgrain has no takers in the government. Our rally on February 22 will not only re-emphasise how their condition has worsened but our party will ensure that the prime minister explains why all this has happened," Shastri added.

He cited the example of Punjab, where the farmers' produce (foodgrain) had been rejected by the government, with middlemen declaring it to be inferior.

However, he said, the BJP's ally at the Centre, the Telugu Desam Party, had agitated and forced the government to purchase the state farmers' foodgrain, he pointed out.

Similarly, he said, the plight of the poor farmers in Bihar was equally pathetic, with many committing suicide since the government had "distanced itself from them", Shastri charged.

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