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Thumbnail for NREGA की जगह VBGRAM क्यों नहीं मंजूर?मजदूर संगठन करेंगे देशव्यापी आंदोलन!

NREGA की जगह VBGRAM क्यों नहीं मंजूर?मजदूर संगठन करेंगे देशव्यापी आंदोलन!

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The video highlights a significant conflict between rural labor unions and the Indian government regarding the proposed replacement of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the new Bharatiya Gram Rozgar Abhiyan (VBGRAM). The speaker, representing the Bharatiya Khet Mazdoor Union, argues that the new law was enacted without consulting the very workers it affects, yet the government is now seeking suggestions on its implementation rules. The unions' primary demand is the immediate repeal of this new legislation and the restoration of MGNREGA, which they describe as a vital lifeline that provided social protection and helped the economy recover from the 2008 recession by increasing rural purchasing power. They contend that the new law undermines the spirit of rural employment guarantee and shifts the burden onto states in a centralized, bureaucratic manner that fails to protect vulnerable workers. A major point of contention is the heavy reliance on technology in VBGRAM, which unions argue creates more obstacles than solutions for laborers. The transcript details numerous technical failures where biometric attendance systems fail due to minor changes in appearance or clothing, leading to denied wages and forced Aadhaar updates that sometimes require travel to Delhi. Workers report losing their daily attendance records randomly because of these glitches, effectively pushing them into a situation resembling bonded labor where they must accept low-paying work elsewhere during periods when no official jobs are available. The unions emphasize that technology should empower people rather than control them, noting that the current system causes confusion among lower-level employees and officers alike, leaving many without work or fair compensation. In response to these issues, a joint platform of activists has organized a nationwide campaign to save MGNREGA, with major protests scheduled for July 1st, the date the new law is set to be implemented. The movement plans demonstrations at village, block, district, and state levels, alongside efforts to mobilize millions of people on the streets. Additionally, the organizers intend to meet Members of Parliament before the next session to demand their support in opposing the new act and plan protests outside parliament houses. The campaign also includes a "Jail Bharo" initiative, urging political parties, trade unions, and social organizations to join the struggle until the new law is scrapped, viewing this mass mobilization as the only viable option to protect rural livelihoods against what they perceive as an attempt to push workers back into slavery. The speaker concludes by asserting that the government must listen to these demands because the issue directly concerns the survival of millions of farmers and laborers who depend on MGNREGA for their income and bargaining power. He notes that many educated children from rural backgrounds are unwilling to perform unskilled manual labor, leaving vacancies unfilled if this safety net is removed. With no other alternatives available to protect rural workers from exploitation and economic instability, the unions believe that continued struggle and mass mobilization are essential to force the government to return to a system that ensures fair wages, land reform, and genuine employment guarantees for the rural poor.
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Because you did not ask us, when we said that you changed the law without asking us and then you are asking for suggestions in the rules, then that is our first suggestion. Our mate is facing this problem that his payment does not come on time. It takes a year , it takes even two years. So if it comes to eight weeks, then payment for four weeks is made. I am MA Economics I am General Secretary of the Bharatiya Khet Mazdoor Union. I know the conditions of the village people and I have been working there. It is not decided what will be the share of wages and what will be the share of material. Hello, welcome to the news. As you know, BB Ji Gram Ji has been passed by the government and is going to implement it in the first week of July. There was a press conference regarding this and all the activists who are part of the joint platform of NREGA Bachao Sangharsh Morcha, including All India Farm Labour Union, Bharatiya Khet Mazdoor Union, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, Nikhil Dey and others, are on a joint platform. Where a continuous campaign is being run to save NREGA. The most interesting thing is that when the government brought this law, it did not consult anyone. But now when its rules are being drafted, suggestions have been sought regarding it and other organizations should be invited to come and give suggestions. So his press conference was regarding this only. He said that we will definitely go to that consultation but our first suggestion to the government is that this law should be repealed and NREGA should be brought back. Because this law is against the rural laborers. So listen to what the labourers who were leaders of agriculture said and in this press conference many labourers who are MNREGA labourers from different states also came and they also put forth their views so what are they saying, how is it visible as per the data, the way the government is making claims and what is the reality on the ground, they have talked about it in a proper manner, listen to what the labour union leaders and labourers are saying, yes, if not then I feel that see what is happening that right now the lower level employees. There is a lot of confusion among them as to who will get work under the new law and in which Gram Panchayat will they get work because categories for job cards will already be created. The category of Gram Panchayat will be created and no order has been issued by the Government of India. No orders have been sent to the states. So there is complete confusion. People are not getting work right now and the way the environment is being created in the future too, I don't think that many people will be able to get work and even if they get work, as we were talking about in the past that the PM will provide work somewhere on the highways, somewhere the work will be so difficult that people will be able to do it, that is, will people be ready to do it for such a low amount of money or not and the raw work because in a way the objective of MNREGA was to provide employment to the people and with that employment there should be development, now they have completely left that behind. At present, it is not decided what will be the share of wages and what will be the share of material. So now most of the work will be related to material, so people are going to face a lot of difficulties. People are not going to get work. Then they will provide you with a 60-day leave in a proper manner. No one will get work during that holiday period. So, no matter how much money one has to pay to go to someone's farm or to someone's factory, the labourers will be forced to go for the least amount of money. So, in a way, by bringing a new law, Narendra Modi is pushing the workers back into bonded labour slavery. Yes, so we said that your first suggestion to us is to repeal it now. This is the first suggestion because you did not ask us, when we said that you changed the law without asking us and then you are asking for suggestions in the rules, then that is our first suggestion. Secondly, the issue of minimum wages that we raised is not there in the rules. So we said that we will also tell you all those things which you have not mentioned in your rules and the rules which you have included which have technology, then Madulika will tell you that whatever work you will give through the new technology structure that you have brought, it will also be a big headache for the labourers and instead of holding the labourers accountable, if you hold those who run your structure accountable then the labourers will work on their own and the little money that you will give will also be enough. So VV Gram Ji Vai is technology heavy. At every step he has said that biometric attendance of labourers will be taken and everything will be controlled by technology and today we are seeing the negative aspects of it in MGNREGA already. So we have done a study for a month on you know how the attendance system is being handled. And what are the difficulties the workers are facing because of it. And we have seen so many people lose their attendance because of technology. We want technology to be empowering. We want technology to support people and also be in control of the people who are actually accessing it. So today everybody in the system is feeling disappointed because of this whole online attendance system. Right from the workers to the men to the officers like the block development officers, the CEOs, the computer system nobody knows what is happening. The updates happen very randomly and every time there is an update, update happens, lot of people lose their attendance because something was not done right and the whole idea of eKYC right is that no the workers photos are mapped against their Aadhar card pictures and that is the basis for attendance everyday. That is also very flat because we are seeing instances where if people have, you know, become shaped their heads and made some changes to the way they look, then the attendance does not happen right, those who say that they go to work in the same saree and blouse every day right because otherwise the attendance does not happen and this is so random people are having to update their Aadhaars every other day and lot of times we are also seeing Aadhaar suspensions because something was not done right and they have to redo some of them, even have to come to Delhi to actually get them corrected today Platform of Agriculture and Sangharsh Morcha we have met here we had discussed about draft rules on G Ramji Act we rejected the act was destroying the spirit of the rural employment these rules are dementing the rural Employment guarantee. So we refused the act, we refused the rules. So on the basis of today we have decided some camps. On July first means the appointed date of the Central Government released the implementation date of this July first on July first we are conducting demonstrations all over the India village level panchayat level block level district level in the every level we are mobilizing lakhs of lakhs of people on the street that is the one campaign we gave. The second one is the come before the coming Parliament session we will meet the MPs we will give the representation who are opposing the new Act. MPs should demonstrate in the Parliament. On that purpose we demonstration in front of the Parliament Members Houses also that is the second programme and collect the signatures also third one is we are thinking till refill the agenda we are continue the militant mass activities in India. So we think the one big convention is in Delhi. And State Campaign on the State Level State Capital Extra Extra Hour Committee Appeal to Political Parties Appeal to Trade Unions Appeal to ESCAM Appeal to Every Mahasar You should support this campaign on the basis of the spirit of Hit India Death August We are all We will participate the Jail Bharo Campaign Jail Bharo Campaign So we should continue until we refill the new strength the MARG Back the MARG The path of the movement is very clear. This is the new law that Bibi ji Ram ji has brought. They have destroyed the spirit of MNREGA. I have no responsibility. It has been placed on top of the state. It is totally centralized. It is being implemented in a bureaucratic manner. And more people are being eliminated by taking new technology. Whatever we have, there is no other option for us to protect it and strengthen it further. Therefore, struggle is our only option. For this, we are continuously massaging the people and on July 1, the day it is being implemented, there will be a protest. Earlier also we were running Harampara campaign from 15th June to 20th June and on 23rd June, demand letters were being continuously sent to the district headquarters within the country. Protests are being held and letters are being sent to the Prime Minister. That is why we have to strengthen it further, make provision for new alternative jobs for these people, provide land, MNREGA is not the only option and we will also emphasize on other things, do you think the government will listen to you because you people are so much into the government, look at me, why will the government not listen to you, the government has to take votes from all over the country, it has to come to power, so to support this, there are people there, farmers, laborers, many political parties also. There is just demand for them. It is a question of his livelihood. This MNREGA was the lifeline for these people in today's times. It had social protection. One of the best laws in the country and the world was employment guarantee. Due to increase in purchasing power of people, the country was saved from the Great Recession Depression of 2008. Their purchasing power increased. People bought goods, factories ran. This is all there is. That is why our main ultimate aim is to provide protection to these people, to increase their income, to increase their bargaining power, their dependence should not be on big land lords, it should be the responsibility of the government to knock on their doors, the government should do land reform for them and give them two acres of land each, many of the educated children from rural labourers are not ready to do this unskilled work. And the vacancies that are lying vacant should be filled up. There are many other substitutes also. There is a huge fight for this. I have been fighting among rural laborers for 45 years. I am MA Economics from I am General Secretary of the Bharatiya Khet Mazdoor Union. I know the condition of the village people. I have been working among those people. That is why in today's time there is no alternative for this and them except struggle. What will be their condition if this is also opened?