Workers , Peasants Rise again in Protest to Demand Government Benefits
A huge protest rally in Delhi sought to highlight various issues faced by them . A universal pension and a minimum wage were among the demands
“ I have been an Anganwadi worker for as long as I can remember . It ’ s been close to 35 years ,” said Parveena , a worker under the Integrated Child Development Services ( ICDS ) Scheme in Kulgam , Kashmir . “ They retire us at 60 years like other government employees but they do not give us the status and salary of government employees . Who will support us in our old age ? They lifted Article 370 and brought our State under the Central government but our salaries didn ’ t change . We have come here to make the government listen .” Parveena was at the Ramlila Ground in Delhi on April 6 along with thousands of other peasants and workers ready to stay on until the government listened . The Delhi heat did not bother them . Parveena was the Block president of the Kulgam district Anganwadi Union . She said that she was paid an honorarium of Rs . 4,100 for all kinds of work under government schemes .
The protest rally was for a bunch of demands : the scrapping of four labour codes and the Electricity ( Amendment Bill ), the expansion of work days under the MGNREGA to 200 days , a universal pension of Rs . 10,000 a month , a minimum wage of Rs . 26,000 a month , the scrapping of contractualisation of work , and a legal guarantee for a Minimum Support Price based on the C2 + 50 formula recommended by the Swaminathan Commission . The organisers , the All India Kisan Sabha ( AIKS ), the Centre of Indian Trade Unions and the All India Agricultural Workers ’ Union ( AIAWU ), also included in it the universalisation of the Public Distribution System and withdrawal of the controversial amendments to the Forest ( Conservation ) Act .
The economist Prabhat Patnaik , who was among the speakers , observed that the coming together of the three labouring classes — industrial
June - 2023 workers , peasants , and agricultural workers — was historic . “ These are the producing classes who have been worst hit by neo-liberalisation ,” he said .
“ Chaar hazaar mein dum nahi ; chabbis hazaar se kam nahi ”, ( 4,000 is nothing ; we won ’ t settle for anything less than 26,000 a month ) was the rallying cry of the workers , among them were ICDS helpers , health workers under the Accredited Social Health Activist ( ASHA ) scheme , and Mid-Day Meal scheme workers . The more than one crore “ scheme ” workers , as they are called , have been demanding recognition as permanent workers with decent salaries and social security for several years now .
“ Itna anushashit rally maine kabhie nahi dekha , aur itne badey paimane mein ,” said a sub-inspector at Ramlila Grounds referring to the huge swathe of disciplined , workingclass participants who had converged by road and rail at the national capital from across the country . A day earlier , the traffic police had issued warnings about route changes for commuters but it did not seem like the close to 70,000 participants caused any major disruptions for Delhi residents .
This was the second mega rally to be held at Ramlila Ground after 2018 . The mobilisation for the latest one had begun in September 2022 when all the constituent fronts decided that it was necessary to bring their issues to Delhi again . The successful farmers ’ protest leading to the withdrawal of the three farm laws was a motivating factor , said an organiser . The rally was organised to articulate the discontent among the working population of the country against the policies of the Central government , said Hannan Mollah , AIKS vicepresident . Mollah , a former Lok Sabha member from West Bengal , was a prominent face in the Samyukta Kisan
T . K . Rajalakshmi
Morcha , the front that had led the farmer protests .
Close to 20,000 agricultural workers were in the rally , many of them women . MGNREGA wages and shortage of work was a big issue for the khet mazdoor or agricultural workers , said Vikram Singh , AIAWU joint secretary . The men were migrating for distress work whereas the women were engaged in agricultural work . “ There has been an increased feminisation of work in this sphere and it is a big debate in academic circles as well ,” he said . All stakeholder sections unanimously demanded that the government guarantee 200 days of work at the rate of Rs . 600 or more a day .
“ The government has to take back the system of online attendance and the Aadhaar-linked Direct Benefit Transfer of payments for ration under the Public Distribution System ,” said Singh . Another relevant aspect was the atrocities on and isolation of Dalits , which he said was linked to the increasing privatisation of services . “ With growing privatisation of public services , Dalits are getting pushed further behind and literally out of the system . The majority of agricultural workers are Dalits ,” he said .
No Floor Wage
There was no declared minimum statutory floor wage for agricultural workers . State governments declared their own rates , which were barely implemented . There was no agency to ensure the implementation , Singh said . In some States , the MGNREGA wages were lower than the minimum declared wage for agricultural workers . There was also a wide disparity in agricultural wage rates between states , which could range from Rs . 700 or more in Kerala to Rs . 170 in Bihar . Despite 75 years of independence , India has no comprehensive Central
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