New Delhi, May 24
Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar appears to be in the firing line of Congress President Sonia Gandhi. In the past few weeks, Mrs. Gandhi has used every opportunity to draw attention to the stagnating agriculture sector and the plight of farmers, clearly hinting at the NCP chief’s poor handling of this key portfolio.

Compulsions of coalition politics have obviously restrained the Congress President from naming the NCP chief directly. It is for the same reason that the Congress is unable to discuss issues like price rise, rural distress and farmers’ suicides at its internal forum for fear of being misunderstood.

However, Mrs. Gandhi has referred to these matters in her recent speeches and even expressed concern that the UPA Government was seen to be not doing enough in the agriculture sector. The latest reference is contained in the new issue of the party’s mouthpiece Congress Sandesh in which Mrs Gandhi’s letter to party workers says that “our farmers in certain regions are still in great distress.”

“The issue of farmers’ suicides and the reasons behind it have to be tackled on a war footing. In a country where trade and overall economy is doing well, the death of even a single debt ridden farmer is an immeasurable tragedy and cannot be allowed to continue,” she adds.

Mrs Gandhi made the same point in her speech at the second anniversary celebrations of the UPA Government two days ago when she spoke of the enormous challenges that the government faces with regard to the agriculture sector.

The Congress President’s references have struck a chord among the party functionaries, who have been voicing their concern over these issues in private. In fact, there is deep disquiet in the party over the spiralling rise in the prices of essential commodities and the government’s recent decision to import wheat at a higher price than what is being paid to the domestic farmer.

Mrs. Gandhi was apparently responding to this underlying concern when she specifically raised these issues in her speech at the recent meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party . “I am sure the government is monitoring the situation and will not allow the prices of essential commodities to be subject to speculation on the fate of the monsoon,” she remarked.

She further remarked that the wheat situation also needs to be monitored, adding that the interests of wheat growers must be protected from the impact of any large-scale imports.