Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Saturday mounted a strong and wide-ranging critique of the Narendra Modi-led government over its proposed changes to the rural employment framework, describing the G RAM Bill as unjust and harmful to the interests of the rural poor. She said she had fought in the past to secure the rights of disadvantaged citizens and would once again lead the struggle against what she termed a “black law”.
Addressing party workers and supporters, Gandhi recalled the enactment of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act nearly two decades ago, when Manmohan Singh was prime minister. She said the legislation was passed in Parliament with broad consensus and went on to become a transformative measure that brought tangible benefits to crores of rural households, particularly those belonging to the most deprived, exploited and economically vulnerable sections of society.
She explained that MGNREGA provided a vital source of income security for rural families by guaranteeing employment close to home, thereby reducing distress migration and enabling people to sustain themselves within their own villages. Gandhi added that the law was unique in granting citizens a legal right to work, strengthening democratic accountability and social justice in rural India.
According to her, the scheme also played a significant role in empowering gram panchayats and advancing Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of Gram Swaraj by decentralising decision-making and giving local communities greater control over development and employment generation.
Turning her focus to the present government, Gandhi alleged that over the last 11 years there had been a systematic attempt to dilute and weaken MGNREGA by neglecting the needs of the unemployed, the poor and marginalised communities in rural areas. She pointed out that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the scheme had acted as a crucial lifeline for millions who had lost livelihoods, underlining its continued relevance and importance.
Expressing strong disapproval, Gandhi said the government had recently “bulldozed” the scheme by removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name and altering the law’s structure and character without meaningful discussion, consultation, or taking the opposition into confidence. She argued that such changes undermined the spirit of consensus with which the law was originally framed.
She further claimed that the proposed changes would centralise decision-making, with choices about who gets employment, how much work is provided, and where it is offered being taken by authorities sitting in Delhi, far removed from the realities and needs of rural communities on the ground.
Gandhi emphasised that while the Congress had been instrumental in bringing MGNREGA into existence and ensuring its implementation, the law had never been about partisan politics. Instead, she said, it was rooted in national interest and a commitment to social welfare. By weakening the scheme, she alleged, the government was directly harming the livelihoods of crores of farmers, labourers, and landless rural poor.
Reiterating her resolve, Gandhi said she was fully committed to opposing the proposed G RAM Bill, just as she had fought two decades earlier to secure the right to employment for the poor. She asserted that the Congress leadership and lakhs of party workers stood firmly with the people and would resist any attempt to dilute hard-won employment rights.
Concluding her address, the Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson reaffirmed her determination to fight any policy or legislative change that undermines rural employment guarantees and reiterated the party’s commitment to stand by farmers, workers, and marginalised communities in defence of their livelihoods and dignity.
