Wayanad : Congress general secretary and the UDF candidate from Wayanad parliamentary constituency, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been getting an overwhelmingly warm response from people across the constituency.
Given her gentle and affable disposition and demeanour, people easily connect with her and feel very comfortable in talking to her frankly without any inhibitions, while listing their issues and problems. They also feel free to ask her all sorts of questions.
It may be recalled that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had promised the people of Wayanad on the day of filing her nomination papers that she will be directly reaching out to them and she has been fulfilling her promise every day, meeting a cross section of people from morning till evening.
During a visit that affirms her commitment to understanding the grassroots issues of Wayanad’s farmers, Ms Vadra spent the morning with a local farmer in Manjoora, Padinjarathara Grama Panchayath. The farmer has dedicated over 35 years to banana cultivation, working on 20 cents of wetland and an acre of dry land. During the visit, she listened keenly to the challenges faced by banana farmers, particularly regarding the impacts of rising costs and other farming hardships in the region. She assured the farmer of her commitment to raising these issues and advocating for solutions that support the livelihoods of Wayanad’s agricultural community.
Ms Vadra also spent time with the family, listening to their perspectives and learning about their aspirations for the future.
Later, Ms Vadra addressed an enthusiastic crowd in Kodencheri, Thiruvambady assembly segment, where she received an overwhelmingly warm response from local residents. Speaking passionately on issues that matter to the people of the region, she reaffirmed her commitment to social justice, community welfare, and sustainable development.
Addressing local residents, she spoke passionately about her commitment to addressing the core issues facing the community, from man-wildlife conflict and education to employment opportunities.
Addressing a corner meeting at Kodencheri, Thiruvambadi, near here today, she assured people that she will always remain accessible to them whenever they need her around. She allayed the apprehensions of some people that with Wayanad being far off from Delhi, she might not be accessible to them after becoming their MP.
About agriculture, she said, she had been really impressed with the quality of the spices being produced here. She said, she had found the cinnamon produced here so effective as compared to what was mostly available in Delhi.
She underlined the need for promoting agriculture and also ensuring compensation for the farmers in case their crops get damaged due to the rains.
Referring to the unusually long delay in setting up a medical college here, Ms Vadra disclosed, there was a general complaint from most of the people that the area lacked proper healthcare.
Spelling out three main problems, she said, people need a good healthcare system. “You need at least a good first-class quality hospital here and therefore you need that medical college to give you its full facilities”.
Second thing, she added, people need the night ban to be accommodating to public needs. “You are in a situation where if somebody falls sick and you have to take them to a hospital across the jungle, you cannot go after a certain time”, she pointed out.
Third, major problem the UDF candidate maintained was the man-animal conflict, which needs a solution. She said, only yesterday she had met the family members of a victim who had been trampled down by an elephant.
Making a strong case for developing and promoting the area for tourism, she said, there was so much potential in places like Thusharagiri, Padayakya, Arippara, Thepperumanallur. “All these can be developed for tourism also, even the Manakunu temple and the St. Mary’s Forane Church can be developed as pilgrimage sites”, she added.
