Why Has PM Ignored Plight Of Marathwada’s Farmers: Congress

On Tuesday, 30 April, the Congress accused PM Narendra Modi of ignoring the plight of farmers in Marathwada and also asked what his vision was to address water scarcity in the region.

Ahead of his rallies in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions to the prime minister. In a post on X, Ramesh said, “Why has the PM ignored the plight of Marathwada’s farmers? What is the PM’s vision to address water scarcity in Marathwada? Why has the export ban only been lifted on Gujarat’s white onions?”

Ramesh said that in the first half of 2023, the Marathwada region accounted for the highest number of farmer suicides in Maharashtra. He elaborated on what he said were “jumla” details.

Ramesh said, “As many as 685 farmers took their own lives in Marathwada and the State Agriculture Minister’s home district, Beed, reported the highest number of deaths at 186. Now, after suffering from drought conditions for the last four months, the Marathwada region has been hit by unseasonal rains and hailstorms, causing severe crop losses. The ruling BJP government has not declared this event a national disaster or announced any relief measures.”

He said this is no surprise from a government that has also “failed” to care for the Godavari river, which is considered to be the lifeline of Marathwada. He claimed, “Although 88 crores were allocated for the cleaning of the river in 2022, there has been no tangible improvement in water quality. Similarly, Manjra river that passes through Latur has also been neglected.”

Ramesh asked, “What are PM Modi and the BJP doing to protect Marathwada’s farmers from drought and natural disasters? What is their vision to prevent farmer suicides?”

The Congress leader further said that more than 178 hamlets and 600 villages in Marathwada have become dependent on water tankers amidst an acute drinking water shortage. “Most of Maharashtra is facing a water shortage this year but Marathwada has been the worst affected with drinking water reservoirs only at 19 per cent capacity, compared to 40 per cent last year,” Ramesh said.

He noted that in Latur, water availability has come down to once in 15 days. Ramesh alleged, “Instead of trying to address this catastrophe, BJP leaders have shirked responsibility, played the blame game, and failed to address allegations of widespread corruption in the implementation of relief and support schemes.”

He wanted to know what the PM’s vision was to tackle water scarcity in Marathwada. He also pointed out that since December 2023, onion farmers in Maharashtra have been reeling from the Modi government’s ban on onion exports.

Ramesh said, “During the cultivation season, the state was hit with unsatisfactory rainfall and water crises, and most farmers were only able to produce 50 per cent of their usual crop. When onions were finally harvested, farmers were faced with an arbitrary export ban which led to devastatingly low sale prices.”

He said that as a result, farmers have racked up significant losses in the last five months. He added, “To add insult to injury, yesterday, the Modi Sarkar allowed the export of white onions which are primarily grown in Gujarat. Maharashtrian farmers, who primarily grow red onions, have been left out. Can PM Modi explain why his government is playing favourites? Why have they so callously neglected Maharashtra’s onion farmers?”

Ramesh said the Congress Nyay Patra promises a stable, predictable import-export policy to prevent such catastrophic last-minute policies being imposed on farmers. Ramesh asked the prime minister to break his “silence” on these issues and said, “What is the Modi Sarkar’s vision to assure farmers of policy stability?”