Skip to main content

Withdraw exploitative technologies, offer NREGA jobs: Jharkhand rural workers protest in Ranchi

By A Representative 
On 28 September 2024 the Raj Bhawan in Ranchi echoed with the chants of over 200 workers protesting against ongoing violations of their rights and the systematic dismantling of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) by the Modi Government. This protest, organized by Jharkhand NREGA Watch and the NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, drew participants from Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, and West Bengal, all uniting in their demand for the act to be implemented fully, ensuring guaranteed employment, timely wage payments, and fair access to work without arbitrary exclusions. 
On the anniversaries of Bhagat Singh's birth and Shankar Guha Niyogi's martyrdom, Praful Linda from the Adivasi Adhikar Manch urged workers to draw inspiration from revolutionary figures and challenge the anti-poor, crony capitalist practices of the current government. Solidarity was also shown by representatives from the Jharkhand Mazdoor Sangathan and Jharkhand Kisan Parishad, who joined the protest. The workers demanded an immediate withdrawal of "exploitative technologies" like the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) and the Aadhaar-Based Payment System (ABPS), which have been described as opaque and arbitrary. 
Maheshwari from Muzaffarpur, Bihar, reported that NMMS frequently leads to wage denials in her panchayat, with officials claiming workers are not listed on muster rolls despite completing their tasks. Workers argue that these systems have led to the exclusion of countless individuals, payment delays, and work denials, effectively eroding the essence of NREGA. 
A critical issue highlighted during the protest was the complete suspension of NREGA work in West Bengal since December 2021. Citing alleged implementation breaches, the Centre invoked Section 27 of the MGNREGA Act, freezing state funds and halting all operations. Consequently, thousands of workers in West Bengal have been unpaid for prior work and have been unable to seek new employment under NREGA for nearly three years. 
Ambarish from Purulia district criticized the Central Government's rationale of penalizing workers for governmental corruption, insisting that NREGA operations must resume without delay, regardless of any investigations. In Jharkhand, NREGA projects are often carried out using JCB machines, violating the Act, while middlemen disproportionately enrich themselves at the expense of the workers. There is a notable lack of political will to confront these widespread issues, which creates a precarious situation for workers caught between unscrupulous middlemen and an indifferent state. 
The protestors called on the government to enhance social audits and grievance redress mechanisms under MGNREGA, ensuring independence and transparency in order to combat corruption and improve accountability. As state elections approach, workers appeared determined to cast their votes for those who prioritize the revival of NREGA. 
They also expressed frustration over their repeated efforts to engage in dialogue with the Minister for Rural Development, which have been thwarted by obstacles and unfulfilled promises. A recent scheduled meeting on September 24, 2024, was canceled without notice, underscoring the ministry's reluctance to engage with the concerns of affected workers. Only one of the six proposed representatives from NREGA workers' unions was approved by the Ministry, further evidencing their unwillingness to listen.  
With rural poverty escalating and job opportunities dwindling, the significance of NREGA has never been more critical, protesters said. For many workers and their families, the income generated through NREGA is vital for survival. The collective message from rural workers to both Central and State governments is emphatic: “NREGA work at a living wage is our right, and we will not allow it to be denied!”

Regional convention of NREGA workers 

A day later, on September 29, 2024, the inaugural Regional Convention of NREGA workers took place in Ranchi. The event was jointly organized by Jharkhand NREGA Watch and NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, attracting over 100 NREGA and unorganized workers from five states: Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha, and Bihar. Approximately ten workers' collectives participated, showcasing solidarity across the region. 
 Representatives from various collectives attended the convention, including Jharkhand NREGA Watch, Jan Jagran Shakti Sangathan (Bihar), Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity (West Bengal), NREGA Watch (Bihar), Odisha Shramjeevi Manch, Right to Food and Work Network (West Bengal), Chhattisgarh Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan, Pravaasi Mazdoor Sangathan (Bihar), and Udayani Social Action Forum (West Bengal). 
Participants, dedicated to the right to livelihood and dignified living, addressed various issues hindering the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (NREGA) and explored ways to enhance its implementation. The situation for NREGA in states like Jharkhand and West Bengal remains particularly dire, with advocates stating, “NREGA has been in the ICU for a long time.” 
The convention consisted of two primary sessions. The first featured workers sharing their challenges with NREGA, while the second included parallel sessions focused on the specific difficulties faced by workers. 
Although the experiences varied, common themes emerged, including the lack of guaranteed employment, delayed wage payments, insufficient wage compensation, arbitrary exclusions facilitated by technology, and the ongoing implementation of counterproductive technologies like the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) and the Aadhaar-Based Payment System (ABPS). 
The parallel sessions addressed topics such as the availability of work for NREGA workers, worksite conditions, working hours, wage rates and payments, the employment status of physically challenged individuals and marginalized tribes (especially women), and the excessive use of technology in NREGA, alongside suggested alternatives. 
Discussions highlighted the long and challenging journey ahead for workers striving for a “pro-worker law implemented by an anti-worker system.” For many, the wages earned through NREGA are crucial not just for their livelihoods, but for survival itself. 
The convention closed with a resounding message from rural workers directed at the Central and State governments: "NREGA work at a living wage is our right, and we will not relinquish it! We will march to Delhi to ensure our voices are heard and our rights secured!" 
---
Click here for the charter of demands by NREGA Sangharsh Morcha

Comments

Post a Comment

TRENDING

Plastic burning in homes threatens food, water and air across Global South: Study

By Jag Jivan  In a groundbreaking  study  spanning 26 countries across the Global South , researchers have uncovered the widespread and concerning practice of households burning plastic waste as a fuel for cooking, heating, and other domestic needs. The research, published in Nature Communications , reveals that this hazardous method of managing both waste and energy poverty is driven by systemic failures in municipal services and the unaffordability of clean alternatives, posing severe risks to human health and the environment.
Post a Comment
»

Economic superpower’s social failure? Inequality, malnutrition and crisis of India's democracy

By Vikas Meshram  India may be celebrated as one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, but a closer look at who benefits from that growth tells a starkly different story. The recently released World Inequality Report 2026 lays bare a country sharply divided by wealth, privilege and power. According to the report, nearly 65 percent of India’s total wealth is owned by the richest 10 percent of its population, while the bottom half of the country controls barely 6.4 percent. The top one percent—around 14 million people—holds more than 40 percent, the highest concentration since 1961. Meanwhile, the female labour force participation rate is a dismal 15.7 percent.
Post a Comment
»

The greatest threat to our food system: The aggressive push for GM crops

By Bharat Dogra  Thanks to the courageous resistance of several leading scientists who continue to speak the truth despite increasing pressures from the powerful GM crop and GM food lobby , the many-sided and in some contexts irreversible environmental and health impacts of GM foods and crops, as well as the highly disruptive effects of this technology on farmers, are widely known today. 
Post a Comment
»

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.
59 comments
»

UP tribal woman human rights defender Sokalo released on bail

By  A  Representative After almost five months in jail, Adivasi human rights defender and forest worker Sokalo Gond has been finally released on bail.Despite being granted bail on October 4, technical and procedural issues kept Sokalo behind bars until November 1. The Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) and the All India Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP), which are backing Sokalo, called it a "major victory." Sokalo's release follows the earlier releases of Kismatiya and Sukhdev Gond in September. "All three forest workers and human rights defenders were illegally incarcerated under false charges, in what is the State's way of punishing those who are active in their fight for the proper implementation of the Forest Rights Act (2006)", said a CJP statement.
Post a Comment
»

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...
Post a Comment
»

Jayanthi Natarajan "never stood by tribals' rights" in MNC Vedanta's move to mine Niyamigiri Hills in Odisha

By A Representative The Odisha Chapter of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), which played a vital role in the struggle for the enactment of historic Forest Rights Act, 2006 has blamed former Union environment minister Jaynaynthi Natarjan for failing to play any vital role to defend the tribals' rights in the forest areas during her tenure under the former UPA government. Countering her recent statement that she rejected environmental clearance to Vendanta, the top UK-based NMC, despite tremendous pressure from her colleagues in Cabinet and huge criticism from industry, and the claim that her decision was “upheld by the Supreme Court”, the CSD said this is simply not true, and actually she "disrespected" FRA.
Post a Comment
»

Stands 'exposed': Cavalier attitude towards rushed construction of Char Dham project

By Bharat Dogra*  The nation heaved a big sigh of relief when the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel (Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand) were finally rescued on November 28 after a 17-day rescue effort. All those involved in the rescue effort deserve a big thanks of the entire country. The government deserves appreciation for providing all-round support.
Post a Comment
»

'Restructuring' Sahitya Akademi: Is the ‘Gujarat model’ reaching Delhi?

By Prakash N. Shah*  ​A fortnight and a few days have slipped past that grim event. It was as if the wedding preparations were complete and the groom’s face was about to be unveiled behind the ceremonial tinsel. At 3 PM on December 18, a press conference was poised to announce the Sahitya Akademi Awards . 
Post a Comment
»