Raising their voice amid the rural community activists, unorganised labourers of Rajasthan have pledged to struggle for higher minimum wages and cast their votes in this year’s Assembly elections for the political party which promises to increase the wages in proportion with inflation.
Hundreds of labourers working at the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) sites and with the private contractors joined the May Day celebrations of Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) at Bhim in Rajsamand district on Tuesday. The participants called for accountability in governance and action to strengthen the laws on food security and right to information.
Unorganised Labour Union’s secretary Norat Mal said they would launch an agitation for higher wages and fair treatment of unskilled workers. He demanded that the political parties give top priority to labour welfare.
The Hindi edition of the book on right to information, “The RTI Story: Power to the People”, by social activist Aruna Roy with the MKSS Collective, was released. The speakers recollected ordinary people’s struggle, which had originated in Rajasthan, for transparency in governance that resulted in the enactment of the RTI Act. Ms. Roy said the agitation for RTI had made a nation-wide impact after a 44-day-long dharna in Beawar in 1996.
Baba Adhav, social activist from Maharashtra, said the change of government would not serve the objective of changing the system, unless it was accompanied by the spirit for public welfare. Dalit leader Bhanwar Meghwanshi said the RTI Act was the first legislation enacted as a result of people’s struggle.
