Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge calls for ensuring security of rural communities before crisis erupts

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday (Sep 2, 2026) said rural communities should not be remembered only during droughts, floods, crop failures or elections and called for a development model that would provide them with security from the onset of crisis.

“Our rural communities do not have to be remembered only when there is a drought, flood, crop failure or election. They deserve a development model that will provide them with safety from the onset of crisis,” Mr Kharge said.

He spoke at an event organized by Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy Foundation and Dr. KVP Foundation, where the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) received the Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy Award, 2026.

Mr Kharge said governments must ensure that farmers have fair markets, rural families have decent livelihoods and women have economic independence, while tribal communities and villages need access to technology, opportunities and basic infrastructure.

“Government plays an important role in creating this security so that communities become partners in India’s development,” he said.

The Congress president also inspected the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Without naming anyone, he said he had heard RSS leaders claim that India had witnessed many reforms. Mr. Kharge said that it was the Congress party which had implemented the said reforms. “We have to run after you because of the thefts you committed,” he claimed without elaborating.

In connection with the link Dr. Rajasekhar Reddy and agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan, Mr. Kharge said both believed that development must ultimately serve the dignity of the common people.

Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy, he said, worked for the poor and marginalized, while Dr. Swaminathan sought to connect scientific progress with social justice and environmental sustainability.

Impact of climate change

Mr. Kharge also highlighted the growing impact of climate change on rural communities, saying that uncertain monsoons, floods, droughts, cyclones and changing weather patterns can lead not only to environmental damage, but also to crop losses, loss of livelihoods, disruption of children’s education and rising household debt. “It’s not just good science. It’s social justice,” he said.

Paying tribute to Swaminathan, Mr Kharge recalled his contribution to the Green Revolution and recalled how late scholars had described Indira Gandhi as “the most successful fighter against hunger”.

The Congress chief said Swaminathan’s vision went beyond increasing food production as he advocated an “Evergreen Revolution”, seeking to increase food production without harming the environment and linking science with social justice and the dignity of rural communities.

Established in 1988, MSSRF has continued this approach through its work with rural and tribal communities in areas including agricultural practices, technology, market access, livelihoods, nutrition, women’s empowerment, biodiversity and climate resilience, Mr Kharge said.

Speaking at the event, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said the Congress will have to work harder to unseat the Narendra Modi government and realize its goal of making Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister.

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Chairperson of MSSRF and daughter of MS Swaminathan could not attend the event in person as she could not travel to Delhi after a medical procedure. In a video message, she thanked the organizers for awarding the prize to the foundation.

Among those present on the dais were Mr. Revanth Reddy’s representative Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh.

Published – 02 Sep 2026 21:54 IST