Kharge calls for rural security before crises, not after

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said rural communities should not be an afterthought, remembered only during droughts, floods, crop failures, or elections. Speaking at an event in Delhi, he called for a development model that provides rural India security before a crisis strikes.

"Our rural communities do not need to be remembered only when there is a drought, a flood, a crop failure or an election. They deserve a development model that gives them security before the crisis arrives," Kharge said.

The Congress chief was speaking at an event organised by the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy Foundation and the Dr. KVP Foundation, where the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) was conferred the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy Award, 2026.

Kharge outlined key priorities for rural development, including fair markets for farmers, decent livelihoods for rural families, and economic independence for women. He also stressed the need for tribal communities and villages to have access to technology, opportunities, and basic infrastructure.

"The government has an important role in creating this security, so that the communities become partners in India's development," he said.

Without naming anyone, Kharge took a swipe at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, saying he had heard an RSS leader claim India had witnessed many reforms. He asserted that it was the Congress party that had carried out the reforms being referred to. "We have to run after you for the thefts committed," he alleged, without elaborating.

Linking the award to the legacies of Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy and agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan, Kharge said both believed that development must ultimately serve the dignity of ordinary people. Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy had worked for the poor and marginalised, while Dr. Swaminathan had sought to combine scientific advancement with social equity and environmental sustainability.

Kharge also highlighted the growing impact of climate change on rural communities, noting that uncertain monsoons, floods, droughts, cyclones, and changing weather patterns could lead to crop losses, loss of livelihoods, disruption of children's education, and mounting household debt. "It is not just good science. It is social justice," he said.

Paying tribute to Swaminathan, Kharge recalled his contribution to the Green Revolution and noted that the late scientist had described Indira Gandhi as the "most successful warrior against hunger." He said Swaminathan's vision went beyond increasing food production, advocating an "Evergreen Revolution" that sought to increase output without harming the environment, combining science with social equity and the dignity of rural communities.

The MSSRF, established in 1988, has carried forward this approach through its work with rural and tribal communities in areas including farming practices, technology, market access, livelihoods, nutrition, women's empowerment, biodiversity, and climate resilience, Kharge said.

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who also spoke at the event, said the Congress would have to work harder to remove the Narendra Modi government and realise its goal of making Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister.

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, chair of the MSSRF and daughter of M.S. Swaminathan, could not attend in person due to a medical procedure. In a video message, she thanked the organisers for conferring the award on the foundation. Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh were among those present on the dais.