"Who Are They Trying to Please?” — K.C. Venugopal Overlooks the People of Kerala

Shri K. C. Venugopal, General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), seems more preoccupied with Kerala’s welfare schemes than with taking on the crony-capitalists backed hindutva majoritarian government at the Centre or reviving the diminishing reputation of the Indian National Congress (INC). Now that he is back in Kerala and experiencing the progress of the state and amused by the welfare schemes announced by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, he seems to have lost all sense of logic, posing the million-dollar question: “Who are they trying to please?”

To the people, perhaps? Well, that’s clearly a constituency KCV and his party aren’t very familiar with.

KCV mocked Kerala’s progressive social security measures, brushing them off as “dust in the eyes of the people.” He scoffed at pension hikes, farmer support, and increased welfare spending—as if the idea of a government actually caring for its citizens were some sort of electoral stunt.

But in his eagerness to throw mud, KCV conveniently forgot to look at the facts—or maybe he just chose not to. Once you do, it becomes crystal clear why these measures are not mere political gimmicks, but lifelines for millions.

For instance, under the Left Democratic Front (LDF) led government, Kerala has announced a Rs. 4,800 crore annual increase benefiting 62 lakh pensioners. For those quick to dismiss it as “dust,” here’s some perspective: this hike adds Rs. 2,976 crore to the state’s annual budget—a huge figure, yes, but a necessary investment in Kerala’s ageing population. In a state where the elderly make up a growing share of the population, it’s a foresight, preparing Kerala for tomorrow.

Kerala faces social and economic challenges that demand targeted interventions, and social security pensions are a critical response to this demographic shift. Beyond pensions, the government’s initiatives—such as the women’s security pension scheme (benefiting 31.34 lakh women) and youth scholarships (5 lakh beneficiaries)—will cost the state an additional Rs. 6,710 crore annually. These are not populist giveaways; they are deliberate, long-term measures aimed at tackling gender inequality, youth unemployment, and social insecurity.

KCV's attempt to belittle the financial foundation of these programs collapses when faced with Kerala’s strong fiscal record. He may smugly ask, “Where will the money come from?” - From Kerala’s own revenue base. For 2024–25, Kerala is projected to generate Rs. 1,00,489 crore in total revenue, of which Rs. 80,489 crore comes from the state’s own sources. That is 80.58%—a figure that underlines Kerala’s fiscal independence and credibility.

When it comes to agriculture, his remarks on Kerala’s farm support policies reveal a wilful distortion of the facts. The LDF government’s decision to raise the procurement price of rice to Rs. 30 per kilogram and subsidies for rubber is a direct intervention to ensure fair prices for farmers. Kerala remains the only state that purchases rice and rubber directly from farmers, ensuring stability in a market otherwise dominated by middlemen.

And here is what KCV won’t tell you: India’s rubber market is controlled by a powerful cartel of tyre manufacturers—an oligopsony in which a handful of big players suppress natural rubber prices, crushing small and marginal farmers in Kerala. Major culprits include MRF, JK Tyre, and Birla Tyre. These corporations have also made generous donations to both the BJP and Congress through electoral bonds, ensuring political silence.

These monopolies did not contribute out of goodwill—they contributed to buy silence. And yet, the Congress now dares to shed crocodile tears for Kerala’s rubber farmers. This hypocrisy is flabbergasting. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Congress even staged a “Padayatra” to “study” the plight of rubber farmers. Now, KCV stands before the people and asks, “Who are they trying to impress?” Well, Mr. KCV, perhaps if you had actually listened to those farmers, you wouldn’t be asking this question.

Speaking of agriculture, let’s not forget the Union government’s role in deepening Kerala’s financial struggles. KCV, in his selective outrage, seems to have conveniently overlooked how the Modi government has repeatedly denied Kerala its rightful dues—over Rs. 6,000 crore this year alone—on top of an annual loss of nearly Rs. 10,000 crore from GST reforms.

And yes, let’s talk about GST—a sacred cow no one wants to touch. But here’s the inconvenient truth KCV would rather ignore: the Congress itself planted the seeds of this fiscal stranglehold. It was the Congress-led UPA government that conceptualised GST. Back in 2006, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram proposed a “single national tax”—hailed as reformist at the time, but eventually depriving states like Kerala of fiscal autonomy.

Years later, Kerala is left grappling with shrinking revenues, delayed grants, and a hostile Union Government. The Modi government perfected fiscal discrimination, but let us also not forget who drafted the rule-book.

KCV's short memory also skips the Oommen Chandy era. Under Chandy’s Congress government, social security pensions were a mess. Pensioners waited months—even years—for payments. Arrears piled up, bureaucracy clogged the system, and elderly citizens were left in uncertainty. At that time, pensioners received a paltry Rs. 600 per month. The LDF government had to clean up this mess, settle arrears, and finally restore dignity to the pension system.

And now, the very same Congress leaders—the architects of welfare neglect—sneer at Kerala’s social safety net. Their criticism isn’t principled; it’s fuelled by political insecurity. If the Congress truly cared about social welfare, it wouldn’t need to manufacture outrage; it would simply deliver results. But delivery has never been their strong suit—denial, however, has been.

KCV ignore the obvious: these pension hikes are not luxuries—they are responsibilities. Before anyone from the Congress lectures Kerala on social welfare, let us recall that the IGNOAPS (Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme) has not seen a single increment since 2011, when the INC was in power at the Union level.

So, the next time KCV asks, “Who are they trying to please?”—the answer is simple: the people. Something his party seems to have forgotten a long time ago.