Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Pratap Singh Bajwa, addressed a large “MNREGA Bachao” rally in Mansa, where farmers, labourers, youth and women gathered to protest against the weakening of rural employment guarantees and the emerging India-US trade framework.
Bajwa cautioned that weakening employment security on one hand and exposing agriculture to unequal global competition on the other would deliver a double blow to rural Punjab.
Defense of MGNREGA
Addressing the gathering, Bajwa recalled that nearly two decades ago, under the leadership of late Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, India implemented the historic Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
He said the rights-based legislation guaranteed employment, wages and dignity to millions of rural households, particularly Dalits and marginalized communities. According to Bajwa, the scheme played a transformative role in reducing poverty, strengthening rural incomes and empowering women.
He expressed serious concern over what he described as attempts to gradually weaken the rural employment system through structural changes. Converting a rights-based program into an allocation-based scheme, he argued, undermines livelihood security for the poorest sections and places unfair financial burdens on states, thereby affecting cooperative federalism.
Bajwa noted that over 20 lakh registered beneficiaries in Punjab depend on rural employment programs, a significant number belonging to Scheduled Caste communities. Any reduction in guaranteed work, he warned, would directly impact families already vulnerable to debt, unemployment and forced migration.
Concern Over India-US Trade Framework
Raising concerns about ongoing India-US trade discussions, Bajwa warned that opening agriculture and dairy sectors to heavily subsidized foreign products could seriously harm Punjab’s farmers and weaken the MSP-based procurement system.
He stressed that any trade agreement must prioritize protection of domestic agriculture, ensure fair prices for farmers and safeguard Punjab’s agrarian economy.
Appeal to Governments
Bajwa urged both the Central and Punjab governments to prioritize farmers, labourers and rural employment in policy and budget decisions. He reiterated that the rights of farmers and workers must be protected at all costs and vowed to continue the fight to safeguard Punjab’s economic and social interests.
The rally reflected growing concerns among rural communities over employment security and agricultural policy amid evolving national and international developments.
