The Congress party in Bihar has launched a significant 17-day protest initiative, mobilising its workers and beneficiaries of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to appeal directly to the President of India. The campaign, which involves sending postcards to President Droupadi Murmu, demands the restoration and strengthening of the flagship rural employment scheme.
Fast and Protests Spark Campaign
The decision for this unique form of protest was announced following a one-day fast organised by the Patna Mahanagar unit of the Congress on Sunday. The party’s state president, Rajesh Kumar Ram, participated in the fast, which was presided over by the Mahanagar unit president, Shashi Ranjan. In a show of statewide solidarity, similar fasts were conducted across all 38 districts of Bihar, signalling widespread discontent over the central government's handling of MGNREGA.
Detailing the plan of action, Shashi Ranjan stated that from January 12 to January 29, chaupals (group meetings) will be organised in every panchayat of Patna district. During these gatherings, MGNREGA-associated labourers and Congress workers will write and dispatch postcards to Rashtrapati Bhavan. "Congress workers will continue to struggle against any tinkering with it," Ranjan asserted, emphasising the party's commitment to the scheme.
Congress Leaders Decry Centre's "Tinkering"
The immediate trigger for this agitation is the Centre's revision and reformulation of MGNREGA, replacing it with a new programme named VB-G-RAM-G. This move has sparked criticism and protests not just from the Congress but also from various reputed social and economic experts who view it as a dilution of the original act's intent.
Addressing party workers after the Sunday fast, Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Kumar Ram launched a strong defence of MGNREGA. He reminded everyone that the Act was enacted in 2005 by the Congress-led UPA government under former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. "MGNREGA protects and ensures the legal and constitutional right of the poor and weaker sections to work. The Congress will not accept any tinkering with its name," Ram declared.
He highlighted the scheme's historic role in providing a livelihood safety net. "Under it, unemployed people mired in poverty and on the edge of starvation got an opportunity to work. It also arrested mass migration of rural workers to other states for work," he explained. Ram accused the Narendra Modi-led central government of systematically weakening the programme and straining the federal structure. "The central government has now not only changed the name but also destroyed its basic thrust," he added.
A Direct Appeal to the Highest Office
The 17-day postcard campaign, running from Monday until January 29, represents a strategic effort to bypass political channels and appeal directly to the constitutional head of the state. By involving the actual beneficiaries—the MGNREGA workers—the Congress aims to personalise the protest and underscore the human impact of the policy change.
This campaign is set against a backdrop of ongoing national debate regarding the efficacy and future of social welfare schemes. The Congress's move in Bihar is a clear attempt to reclaim ownership of one of its most celebrated policy legacies and to position itself as the primary defender of rural employment rights ahead of crucial electoral cycles.
