Wayanad, which was once the Lok Sabha constituency of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and is now represented by his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra continues to grapple with serious issues. The condition of Wayanad remains dire under the Congress rule, particularly for its tribal communities. The tribal communities here have been facing neglect and injustice at the hands of the administration. This was yet again proven as two distressing incidents recently highlighted the appalling situation, exposing both political and administrative failures in the district.
In one of the incidents, a 76-year-old tribal woman, Chundamma who breathed her last at her home needed to be taken to the crematorium for her last rites on Monday, 16th December. However, her body was transported in an autorickshaw due to the unavailability of an ambulance. After the death of the woman, her family is believed to have sought help from the Tribal Development Department. They demanded an ambulance to take her body to the crematorium. However, there was allegedly no response from the department following which the family was left with no choice but to use an autorickshaw.
The dead body of the woman was wrapped in a sheet and parts of the body could be seen hanging outside while on the way to the crematorium, a shocking display of administrative mismanagement. Images and videos of the incident have gone viral on social media and news outlets, sparking outrage.
Later, Congress workers staged protests outside the Tribal Development Department’s office, demanding accountability. The officials suspended a local functionary for failing to communicate the need for an ambulance. Notably, the incident happened in the Mananthavady constituency which is represented by Kerala’s Tribal Affairs Minister, O R Kelu.
Another disturbing incident was reported on Sunday, December 15th, 2024, in the Mananthavady area of Wayanad, where a 49-year-old tribal man identified as Mathan was brutally assaulted and dragged for half a kilometer by a moving car. The incident happened when two tourist groups engaged in a minor scuffle and local residents including Mathan attempted to cool the matter down. The accused persons who claimed to be tourists assaulted Mathan and drove the vehicle dragging him for a long distance. The accused persons have been identified as Mohammad Arshid, Abhiram, Vishnu, and Navil Kamar. Police immediately took cognizance of the event and seized the vehicle involved in the incident. The vehicle seized is a Maruti Celerio (registration number KL 52 H 8733), registered under the name of Mohammed Riyas, a resident of Kuttippuram in Malappuram district.
According to reports, the accused persons initially pelted stones at Mathan, and then tied him to the car before dragging him for around half a kilometer. Mathan has obtained severe injuries, particularly on his legs and hands, and is currently being treated at Wayanad Medical College Hospital. Doctors have reported that the skin on his legs has been severely torn, and his condition remains critical.
The BJP has criticized the selective response of the Congress leaders to these incidents. Kerala BJP President K. Surendran questioned the silence of several leaders over the attack in Wayanad. He tweeted, “Pseudo-intellectuals in Kerala cry hoarse about incidents in North India, yet stay eerily silent when a tribal youth is brutally dragged by a car in Mananthavady, Wayanad. Why this selective outrage? Is it because the incident doesn’t serve your narrative?”
Pseudo-intellectuals in Kerala cry hoarse about incidents in North India, yet stay eerily silent when a tribal youth is brutally dragged by a car in Mananthavady, Wayanad. Why this selective outrage? Is it because the incident doesn’t serve your narrative?@priyankagandhi… pic.twitter.com/bN1dYFPTHK
— K Surendran (@surendranbjp) December 17, 2024
The BJP leader also called out Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for their inaction and lack of response. He indicated that these incidents reflect the neglect and mistreatment faced by Wayanad’s tribal population, highlighting the failure of both the administration and political leadership to address their issues.
Is the selective approach of Rahul and Priyanka justified?
These recent incidents that have happened in the district of Wayanad, the Lok Sabha constituency which is now represented by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, raise serious concerns about the political and administrative systems in the region. On one hand, the incident of the old woman’s body being transported in an autorickshaw highlights the major negligence of the local administration. On the other hand, the brutal assault on Mathan exposes the constant exploitation and violence faced by tribal communities in the region.
It is ironic and equally concerning that in a parliamentary constituency where Rahul Gandhi has earlier served as MP and is now represented by his sister Priyanka Gandhi, members of the tribal community are forced to face such humiliation and neglect. The Congress party’s decision to protest in Chundamma’s death case while remaining silent on Mathan’s assault reveals a clear pattern of vote bank politics. The selective outrage on the other hand is evident where political gains are anticipated. For instance, Congress leaders participate in movements and protests against the government during the farmers’ protest or also the Hathras case. However, when a major incident occurred in Wayanad, the very constituency now looked after by Priyanka Gandhi, the brother-sister duo chose to remain silent.
Notably, this is not the first time that the tribal community in Wayanad has faced such neglect at the hands of Congress. For years, their issues ranging from inadequate healthcare and backward education to administrative indifference have been ignored by the party. Political parties, particularly Congress and the Left, which have been in power in Kerala alternatively for decades, tend to engage with these communities only during election periods.
In Mathan’s case, the silence of Congress becomes even more questionable given that the accused are Muslims. This raises concerns about whether Congress is practising selective politics, speaking up only when it suits their narrative or offers electoral benefits. Such a stance further exposes the hypocrisy in addressing the issues of marginalized communities like the tribal population in Wayanad.
