New Delhi, Sept. 15: Sonia Gandhi has publicly hailed Rahul Gandhi’s political role for the first time in his nascent career, picking out a tribal foray where he labelled himself a “sipahi” and flagging a thrust area through which the Congress hopes to stand on its own feet eventually.

“The party’s commitment to the welfare of the underprivileged and weaker sections was reinforced after the decision to protect the Niyamgiri region from mining by party general secretary Rahul Gandhi who assured the tribal people that their fundamental interests would not be sacrificed in pursuit of developing natural resources,” Sonia said in a letter to Congresspersons.

The letter has been published in the latest issue of the party mouthpiece, Congress Sandesh, and has caught the eye of party supporters at a time Rahul is touring Bengal.

Sonia was referring to the August 26 meeting in Orissa’s Niyamgiri region where Rahul Gandhi obliquely endorsed the Union environment ministry’s decision to slam the brakes on a mining project by Vedanta.

The project was part of several the Union environment ministry, headed by Jairam Ramesh, had objected to, triggering a debate among various ministries on how to reconcile the demands of development with the interests of populace dependent on land.

The Congress president had last week articulated her stand by advocating a balanced approach but she had so far not commented on Rahul’s initiative.

Rahul has now earned the distinction of being the first party general secretary to be praised so by the Congress president.

Sonia’s decision to mention the Niyamgiri episode in her letter underscores the significance the party attaches to the shift in its development outlook against the backdrop of the rising Maoist threat.

“We need to ensure that sustainable development and employment reaches people whose voice is now being heard,” Sonia added in the letter.

In Orissa, Rahul had described himself as “your (tribals’) voice and sipahi in Delhi”, and Sonia’s letter pointed out that their voice was “now” being heard. This is being seen as a clear admission by the two most powerful players of the ruling combine that successive governments ignored the interests of the tribals.

The Congress has understood that the “aam aadmi” slogan may not be able to propel it any further and Rahul will have to break fresh ground to win the next election. He began speaking up for the poor, then tried to identify himself with the Dalits and is now vigorously wooing the tribals.

The party, too, has taken up the initiative as a major project — as reflected in the editorial of Sandesh.

The editorial says: “Rahul has given a new hope to the nation from the Niyamgiri hills in Orissa. He has started writing a new chapter in the social history of our diverse country and has assured the tribal population that he would work as their sepoy in Delhi.”

It adds: “Rahul’s commitment to the call of those who stay in forests and struggle hard to save their hills and land is in continuation of the basic traditions and values of the Congress…. It has become necessary to redesign our developmental schemes in the tribal areas.

“Policing alone is not an answer to every problem. Policing in our country has become increasingly complex over the years. Social tensions, religious disputes, growing economic disparities, regional, linguistic and ethnic differences have long been major challenges. Time has come when we must have a total review of our strategies.”

Apart from the Naxalite menace, the shift of tribal votes to the BJP has become a source of concern for the Congress over the past decade. While the predominantly tribal states of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand have fallen into the BJP’s lap, the Congress has lost control over tribal pockets in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, too.

The RSS has developed a network among the tribals but the Congress had almost withdrawn from these areas. Without reclaiming them, the Congress cannot hope to bolster its tally to be able to reach 272 seats on its own.