‘Entire Wayanad stood with me when I was disqualified’: Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandih said he has a relationship with the people of Wayanad, regardless of which party they belong to

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on his first visit to Wayanad after his Lok Sabha membership was restored, thanked the people of his parliamentary constituency on Sunday for standing with him when he was disqualified as MP.

Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad on Sunday. (PTI)

“I am very happy when I come to Wayanad. I have a relationship with people here, regardless of which party they belong to. Of course, we have ideological differences with the Left, but when I was disqualified, the entire Wayanad stood with me. I consider the entire Wayanad to be a part of my family,” Gandhi said in Mananthavady, Wayanad, on Sunday.

He was speaking after inaugurating a high-tension electricity line at the Dr Ambedkar Memorial District Cancer Centre at the Govt Tribal Hospital in Nalloornadu. Gandhi had allocated ₹50 lakh from his Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) fund for the project.

“I was told that the hospital used to face power cuts frequently and the patients and doctors were inconvenienced. I hope that this new electricity line will solve those problems,” he said at the hospital that caters especially to marginalised sections like tribals.

At the event, Gandhi took indirect swipes at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Rashtriya Swayasevak Sangh (RSS) ideology over the use of the term ‘vanvasi’ and tribal welfare. He said he spoke recently to the tribal community in Rajasthan about two ideologies that are fighting in this country.

Gandhi said, “There is the word ‘Adivasi’, which means the original owners of the land. ‘Adivasi’ means a particular wisdom, understanding of the environment, the earth we live on and a relationship with the planet. The word respects and accepts the fact that our tribal brothers and sisters were the original owners of this land. That also implies the original owners should have rights to land, forest and allowed an imagination of whatever they want. As the original owners, your children should be able to study engineering, medicine, learn computers and run businesses. But you should also get rights to land and forest produce. You should not be restricted and categorised. All opportunities should be accessible. This is one idea.”

“There is another idea which uses the term ‘Vanvasi’. We say ‘Adivasi’ and the other side says ‘Vanvasi’. There is a perverted logic behind the term ‘Vanvasi’. The term denies that you are the original owners of India. It also restricts you to the jungle. The idea behind ‘Vanvasi’ is that you belong to the jungle and you should not leave the jungle. And this is simply not acceptable to us and we do not accept this word. This word is a distortion of your history, tradition and an attack on your relationship with this country. For us, you are ‘Adivasis’ and we can learn from you,” he added.

The Congress leader underlined that while the word ‘Environment’ and ideas about its protection are fashionable today, the ‘Adivasis’ have been talking about the same for 3,000-5,000 years.

“We can learn from your history, tradition, way of life, not just about the environment, but how to deal with each other and respect each other. Of course, your children should have access to the best hospitals, education and jobs. We are always here to help you,” he said.

Gandhi, who reached Wayanad on Saturday evening, was given a rousing welcome by the top leaders of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) at a public meeting in Kalpetta. He also handed over keys of nine houses built under the ‘Kaithangu’ project to beneficiaries. This was his first visit to the constituency after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction in a defamation case, prompting the Lok Sabha Secretariat to restore his membership.