Cong focuses on rubber farmers after Kerala archbishop's offer to BJP

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala is reportedly giving more emphasis to the plights of the rubber farmers after a Catholic archbishop offered electoral support to BJP provided rubber price is enhanced to Rs 300 per kilogram.

While Congress leader Rahul Gandhi raised the issue as an add-on factor in his speech in Kerala on Monday, Congress’s coalition partner Kerala Congress (Joseph) raised the issue in the Assembly on Tuesday.

The swift actions by the UDF seem to be owing to concerns that the saffron party will make inroads into the Christian vote banks through the rubber issue as majority of the seven lakh odd rubber growers are from the Christian community.

Also Read: CPI(M), Cong treat Kerala Christians as 'vote bank': V Muraleedharan

Already BJP leaders have welcomed the electoral support offered by Metropolitan archbishop of Tellicherry (Thalassery) archdiocese in Kannur district Mar Joseph Pamplany. Moreover, Bishop of the Diocese of Thamarassery Remigiose Inchananiyil had also backed Pamplany’s stand.

Congress and the regional parties Kerala Congress had been enjoying the support of the plantation farmers. However, with the Kerala Congress (Mani) party joining the CPM-led Left Democratic Front, cracks are already formed in this vote bank.

Rahul Gandhi, who addressed a public function at Kozhikode on Monday, did not mention the rubber price issue during his speech initially. Later he came back to the podium and added that he just received some representations and hence wanted to add that he himself as well as all MPs of the Congress would take up the plight of rubber and coconut farmers with the Centre.

He also alleged the Centre and state government were not addressing the plights of the farmers.

On Tuesday, a MLA of Congress’s alliance partner Kerala Congress (Joseph), which used to get the backing of high-range farmers, had raised the plight of rubber farmers in the Assembly. MLA Mons Joseph stressed the need for enhancing the support price being offered by the state government for rubber farmers.

Putting the onus on the BJP government at the Centre, the CPM-led state government said in the reply that the Centre should also include rubber as well as cardamom, pepper and coffee in the minimum support price scheme.

The Centre should also restrict import of natural rubber and popularise the use of rubber products, Agriculture Minister P Prasad said in the reply.