“Fistful of Soil”: Workers from Across India Gather in Delhi to Protest New Rural Job Law

Thousands of rural workers have converged in New Delhi today, each carrying a “Fistful of Soil” from their worksites to protest the government’s new VB-G RAM G legislation. Organized by the NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, the “Ek Mutthi Mitti” campaign symbolizes the deep bond between laborers and the land—a bond they fear is being severed by the repeal of the historic MGNREGA act. In their protest message, protesters claim that although the new law of Viksit Bharat provides 125 days of work, in the process it transforms rural employment system based on rights to a supply-based system that is centrally controlled at the expense of millions who cannot enjoy the livelihood system.

The Fight Against VB-G RAM G

The central point of contention is the replacement of the 2005 Employment Guarantee Act with the new VB-G RAM G bill. At the protest location, activists and union leaders point out that the new law is based on normative allocations as opposed to open-ended demand, which might in effect censor budgets and limit working opportunities. Employees complained that the new law creates blackout seasons in harvesting periods and makes it legally difficult to fathom the complex demands of various digital requirements, which they reckon will see the exclusion of the neediest in large numbers.

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Demands of NREGA Sangharsh Morcha

The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha has issued a strong charter of demands, primarily calling for the immediate withdrawal of the new Act and the restoration of the demand-driven nature of rural employment. They are also insisting on the repeal of the compulsory NMMS (digital attendance) application and the Aadhaar-based payment system, grounding their argument on massive technical malfunctions. The soil gathered to-day will be consolidated into a common pile, and symbolize the hard, indestructible determination of the working people to defend their Right to Work.

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