NREGA workers demand resumption of work in West Bengal through nationwide campaign

By A Representative
New Delhi: Over 4,700 NREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005) workers from across India have sent letters to Prime Minister Modi, demanding the immediate resumption of NREGA work in West Bengal. This action follows the central government's freeze on NREGA funds to West Bengal in December 2021, which has halted all NREGA work and wage payments in the state.
Organized by the NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, the campaign included a postcard initiative where workers not only wrote to the Prime Minister but also contributed one rupee each towards the West Bengal NREGA budget. The postcards conveyed a direct message: "If the central government cannot release the NREGA budget for West Bengal, we, the workers of India, will raise the funds ourselves. We demand the immediate resumption of NREGA work in West Bengal."
On August 5, 2024, representatives from various workers' organizations met with Rural Development Secretary Shailesh Kumar, urging the immediate release of funds and the resumption of NREGA work in West Bengal.1 They expressed concern over the lack of a credible investigation into alleged irregularities and the absence of accountability, despite the fund freeze lasting over two and a half years.
The workers' delegation also met with political figures, including MPs Amra Ram, Dr. V. Sivadasan, Raju Bista, Advocate Bikash Bhattacharya, Manish Tamang, Shashikant Senthil, and Prakash Chik Baraik, requesting them to raise the issue in Parliament. The impact of the fund freeze on millions of workers and their families in West Bengal has been severe, leading to forced migration, widespread hunger and malnutrition, increased suicides, and further impoverishment of poor families.
Despite repeated attempts, workers' representatives have been unable to meet with the Union Minister of Rural Development. The lack of response from the government has increased frustration among workers.
In response to a petition filed by Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samiti (W.P.A. (P) 237 of 2023), the Calcutta High Court in April 2024 formed a four-member committee to verify the authenticity of previously completed NREGA works in West Bengal. While verification is important, workers argue that it should not come at the expense of depriving millions of their right to work.
With over 3,500 applications for NREGA work received in West Bengal in September 2024, the need for resumption is evident.3 However, due to the central government's refusal to release funds, these demands are being met through the state government's employment scheme, 'Karmashree'. On September 24, 2024, approximately 100 NREGA workers, led by Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samiti, gathered for a 'gherao' (encirclement) program at the BJP state headquarters in Kolkata. Although no party officials met with the workers, the party office assured them that their issues would be raised at the BJP state committee meeting on September 26.
The Kolkata demonstration is part of broader actions across the country. On Sunday, September 28, 2024, hundreds of NREGA workers from Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha are gathering in Ranchi for a mass protest.4 Workers will assemble at Raj Bhavan in Ranchi at 11 am to demand that the Modi government withdraw its anti-worker and anti-poor policies and properly implement NREGA.

Comments

From snowstorms to heatwaves: India’s alarming climate shift in 2025

By Dr. Gurinder Kaur* Climate change is no longer a future concern—it is visibly affecting every country today. Since the beginning of 2025, its effects on India have become starkly evident. These include unseasonal snowfall in hill states, the early onset of heatwaves in southern regions, a shortening spring season, and unusually early and heavy rainfall, among other phenomena.

'Incoherent, dogmatic': Near collapse of international communist movement

By Harsh Thakor* The international communist movement today lacks coherence or organizational unity. Many groups worldwide identify as communist, Marxist-Leninist, or Maoist, but most promote dogmatism, reformism, or capitulation, using revolutionary rhetoric. Some trace their origins to historical betrayals, like Trotsky’s efforts to undermine the Soviet socialist transition or the 1976 coup in China that restored a bourgeoisie under Deng Xiaoping. Others focus on online posturing rather than mass engagement. Small communist organizations exist in places like Turkey, South Asia, and the Philippines, where Maoist-led struggles continue. No international forum unites them, and no entity can forge one.

Priced out of life: The silent crisis in India's healthcare... who pays attention, and who takes responsibility?

By Aysha* Manisha (name changed) has been living with a disease since the birth of her third child—over ten years now—in the New Seemapuri area of North East Delhi. She visited GTB Hospital, where a doctor told her that treatment would cost ₹50,000, as the hospital would charge for the cost of an instrument that needs to be implanted in her body. Several NGOs have visited her home, yet she has received no support for treatment and continues to live with the illness. Manisha is divorced, without access to ration or pension, and lives with her three children by begging outside a temple.

Madhya Pradesh village's inspiring example of how small budget effort conserves water amidst heat wave

By Bharat Dogra Heat waves have been intensifying over vast areas of India in recent days and there are also many reports of water scarcity making the conditions worse for people. However the situation can differ significantly in various villages depending on whether or not significant water conservation efforts have been made. In recent years I have visited several villages of good water conservation efforts where I noticed that even at the time of adverse weather conditions, people of these villages as well as farm and other animals feel important relief in terms of access to adequate water. Due to water and moisture conservation, conditions of farms and pastures is also much better. What is more, with the participation and involvement of people, even quite low budgets have been utilized well to achieve very useful and durable results.

Population explosion: India needs a clear-headed policy, data-driven governance, long-term planning

By N.S. Venkataraman* At the upcoming G7 summit in Canada, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited as a special guest, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau citing two main reasons: India’s rise as the world’s fifth-largest economy and its status as the most populous nation. While economic growth is undoubtedly a point of pride, the latter distinction—India’s population—raises an important question: should this be seen as a strength or a source of growing concern? India has not conducted a national census since 2011, leaving the current population figures largely speculative. Estimates place the population at around 1.4 billion, with projections reaching 1.8 billion by 2050. Despite modest declines in fertility and death rates, the annual population growth remains between 1.5% and 2%. The next census, scheduled for 2026, will provide a more accurate demographic picture, but until then, policymaking remains uninformed by crucial data. Over the past eleven years, the gov...

Victim to cricketing politics, Alvin Kalicharan was a most organized left handed batsman

By Harsh Thakor* On March 21st Alvin Kalicharan celebrates his 75th birthday. Sadly, his exploits have been forgotten or overlooked. Arguably no left handed batsman was technically sounder or more organized than this little man. Kalicharan was classed as a left-handed version of Rohan Kanhai. Possibly no left-handed batsmen to such a degree blend technical perfection with artistry and power.

Vishwamitri river revival? New report urges action on pollution, flood risks, wildlife protection

By A Representative The Vishwamitri Committee, formed by the Gujarat State Human Rights Commission, has submitted two supplementary reports on June 5, 2025, detailing efforts to rejuvenate the Vishwamitri River in Vadodara, considered Gujarat's cultural capital. The reports (click here and here ) respond to directives from a May 26, 2025, GSHRC hearing. Comprising environmentalists, urban planners, and zoologists like Neha Sarwate, Rohit Prajapati, Dr. Ranjitsinh Devkar, Dr. Jitendra Gavali, and Mitesh Panchal, the committee focuses on mitigating pollution, stabilizing riverbanks, managing flood risks, and preserving biodiversity, particularly for crocodiles and turtles.

Mumbai jetty project: Is Colaba residential associations' outrage manufactured?

By Gajanan Khergamker When the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) filed an affidavit before the Bombay High Court defending its long-planned public jetty project, it did more than just respond to a writ petition by a Colaba Residents Association. It exposed, albeit inadvertently, a far more corrosive phenomenon festering beneath the surface of urban civil life across India—a phenomenon where residential associations, many unregistered and some self-professed custodians of ‘public sentiment,’ conspire to stall governance under the veil of representation.

Central London discussion to spotlight LGBTQ+ ex-Muslim rights and persecution

By A Representative On June 13, 2025, the Dissident Club in Central London will host a public discussion to mark the 18th anniversary of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (CEMB) and to commemorate World Refugee Day. The event, scheduled from 7:00 to 9:00 pm, will feature speakers Ali Malik, Maryam Namazie, and Taha Siddiqui, who are expected to address the intersecting challenges faced by LGBTQ+ ex-Muslims globally.

Search This Blog