Tripura, 10 Jan 2026: Under the initiative of the Tripura Pradesh Congress Sadar District, a district-level mass hunger strike was organized on Sunday at the foot of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue near Agartala Circuit House as part of the “MNREGA Bachao Sangram” programme. The protest demanded the restoration of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). MLA Sudip Roy Barman and Tripura Pradesh Congress President Asish Kumar Saha were present at the programme.
Addressing the gathering, MLA Sudip Roy Barman said that across India, the Congress party has launched a one-day hunger strike in every district under the direction of the All India Congress Committee to demand the revival of MGNREGA. He stated that the fundamental objective of the programme is to protect people’s right to work, which, according to him, has been systematically taken away.
He alleged that wages due to workers are being denied, additional financial burdens are being imposed on states, and the universal nature of employment under MGNREGA has been dismantled. “Earlier, work was guaranteed in every panchayat and village. Now it has become selective and uncertain. Employment is being provided only in chosen areas. This is an attack on the people’s rights,” Roy Barman said.
He further demanded that the newly introduced “VB -G RAM G” type schemes be scrapped and the original MGNREGA Act be fully restored. While he said that removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the Act is an emotional issue that hurts the sentiments of the people, he stressed that the main concern is the loss of employment rights of the poor. “This hunger strike is primarily for the restoration of MGNREGA and the protection of people’s right to work,” he added.
Tripura Pradesh Congress President Asish Kumar Saha said that the “MNREGA Bachao Sangram” is a 45-day nationwide movement being observed across all districts of the country. As part of this programme, mass hunger strikes are being organized in every district, including in Tripura’s nine organizational districts.
Explaining the importance of MGNREGA, Saha said the Act was introduced in 2005 under the UPA government led by the late Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, with the inspiration of then Congress President Sonia Gandhi. “The law guaranteed 100 days of employment in rural areas and recognized the right to work as a legal entitlement. It also played a major role in rural asset creation and livelihood security,” he said.
Saha accused the central government of repealing the Act in the last parliamentary session and removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the law, calling it an insult not only to the nation but also to the global legacy of Gandhi as a symbol of non-violence, democracy, and secularism. He alleged that this move was part of the ideological agenda of the BJP and RSS.
He further stated that the new scheme introduced by the central government lacks the universal character of MGNREGA and has centralized control over employment generation. “Earlier, employment was guaranteed in every panchayat. Now the central government decides where and how work will be given. This creates discrimination and uncertainty, especially for tribal communities, Dalits, farmers, and other vulnerable sections,” Saha said.
The Congress leader warned that the new policy framework poses serious obstacles to inclusive rural employment. “That is why we have launched this 45-day movement to demand the restoration of MGNREGA. Today’s hunger strike is just the beginning. In the coming days, a much larger movement will be organized across the entire state,” he added.
The programme witnessed participation from Congress workers and supporters, who reiterated their demand for the immediate reinstatement of MGNREGA and the protection of the constitutional right to work for rural citizens.
