The joint platform announces month-long protests demanding reinstatement of a strengthened Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
NEW DELHI — In a significant show of unity, agricultural and rural workers’ unions, NREGA workers’ organisations and right-to-work activists have announced the formation of a broad national joint platform to oppose the VB-GRAM (G) Act. They also demanded the reinstatement of a strengthened Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
The decision was taken at a round-table meeting at HKS Surjeet Bhawan here on Thursday, which saw participation from over 100 representatives of agricultural and rural workers’ unions, NREGA Sangharsh Morcha affiliates, organisations of the rural poor, trade unions, academics, legal defenders and disability rights groups.
The newly-formed platform resolved to launch its first united nationwide campaign from January 10 to February 12, with continuous grassroots mobilisation and mass actions in villages across the country. The campaign will focus on demanding the rollback of VB-GRAM (G), which participants described as a direct attack on the right to work and employment security of rural workers.
As part of the programme, organisations will move resolutions rejecting VB-GRAM (G) at mandatory Gram Sabhas on Republic Day, January 26. On February 2, marking 20 years since the launch of MGNREGA, protests and demonstrations will be held outside government offices in villages, districts and state capitals. The first phase of the agitation will culminate on February 12, in coordination with central trade unions’ actions against the four labour codes.
The meeting was steered by a presidium comprising B Venkat of the All India Agricultural Workers’ Union (AIAWU), Nikhil Dey, Anuradha Talwar and Mukesh Nirvasit of the NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, and V S Nirmal of the Bharatiya Kisan Mazdoor Union (BKMU).
Inaugurating the meeting, noted economist Jayati Ghosh highlighted the impact of neoliberal policies on rural livelihoods, arguing that global capital had disproportionately hurt agricultural and rural workers. She said MGNREGA had provided crucial relief to millions and warned that VB-GRAM (G) threatened to dismantle that safety net.
Speakers from the NREGA Sangharsh Morcha alleged that VB-GRAM (G) converts a demand-driven employment guarantee into a supply-led, centrally controlled scheme. They said the law imposes an arbitrary budget cap, dilutes the universal nature of rural employment, shifts financial responsibility to states, and undermines federalism.
Central trade unions, including CITU, INTUC and AITUC, expressed solidarity, with leaders stating that any dilution or repeal of MGNREGA would severely impact the rural economy and the broader working class. Representatives of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha said they had opposed the legislation from the outset and would participate in the joint platform’s future programmes.
Several women’s, youth and student organisations also extended support, underlining the wide-ranging impact of changes to rural employment guarantees.
The meeting unanimously adopted resolutions to form a national-level coordination committee and place key demands before the government, including the rollback of VB-GRAM (G), restoration of MGNREGA in a strengthened form, a legal guarantee of at least 200 days of work per adult rural worker, a minimum wage of Rs 700 indexed to inflation, removal of exclusionary digital payment and attendance systems, and mandatory Gram Sabha approval in planning and implementation of works.
Concluding the meeting, organisers said the united platform reflects the urgency of collective action to protect rural workers’ dignity, livelihoods and constitutional right to work, and pledged to intensify pressure on the BJP-led central government to restore MGNREGA in its original spirit.
