Farmer, worker groups to intensify protests against Centre’s policies

Days after the protests by students and youth that resulted in the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, a joint convention of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and the platform of Central Trade Unions (CTUs) held in New Delhi on Wednesday (July 29, 2026) has decided to strengthen the protests against the Centre’s labour and farm policies.

The National Convention of Workers and Farmers, held for the second time after a similar meeting on August 24, 2023, decided to extend solidarity with the students and youth who are agitated against the National Education Policy, 2020. The convention also called for organising coordinated programmes as well as joint programmes of workers and peasants. “The growing unity of these major productive forces of the country is of utmost importance at this juncture when the country is faced with deep economic, political, social and cultural crises. The central government continues to pursue policies to the advantage of big corporates, national and foreign, whereas the inequalities have further been perpetuated amongst the people in general, and vulnerable and poor masses in particular,” a resolution adopted by the convention said.

The meeting said that despite six general strikes in the last six years, the Union Government notified four Labour Codes and their Rules. “This aims to weaken and cripple the unions, making registration and recognition of trade unions difficult, whereas the de-registration and de-recognition are made easier while legalising violations by the employers,” the statement added. Regarding the proposed trade deals with the United States of America, the European Union, and some other countries, the statement said they are designed to the disadvantage of India’s agricultural sector and MSMEs. “Certainly this will pave the way for ruination for farmers, small businesses, trade and supply chain of our country. The right of farmers on seeds and scientific innovations by our agricultural universities for the advantage of our indigenous growth of agriculture is undermined and threatened,” it added.

Criticising the NEP, the meeting pointed out that the rotten system of examinations for admissions to several professional courses and recruitments has agitated the students and youth of our country. “Unemployment is unprecedented. The sanctioned posts in various Government departments and Public Sector services remain unfulfilled; rather, the sanctioned posts are being surrendered as in the recent case of notification in railways,” they said, adding that they will heighten their struggle for change in “the anti-worker, anti-farmer and anti-national” policies of the government to “save the people and to save the nation.”

They demanded that Labour Codes and Rules be repealed and that the minimum support price be legalised under the formula prescribed by the M.S. Swaminathan Commission report. “Modernise agriculture under producer cooperatives, agro-based industries under PSUs and the co-operative sector. Stop privatisation or disinvestment and sale of PSUs and public services, stop National Monetisation Pipeline 2.0, loot of natural resources, outsourcing and contractorisation,” they demanded.