Hyderabad – On Tuesday, the Kisan Morcha urged workers across the country to come together and oppose the central government’s policies, which they say favor large corporations over the common people.
Leaders from the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), including T Sagar and Pashya Padma, along with representatives from various trade unions, led a protest outside the Central Labour Commissioner’s office in Hyderabad. The protest was part of a larger, nationwide movement happening the same day.
The demonstrators raised several demands aimed at protecting workers’ rights and farmers’ livelihoods. They strongly opposed the four new labour codes, calling for their complete withdrawal. They also demanded a fixed minimum wage of ₹26,000, retention of the 8-hour workday, and protection of public sector enterprises from privatization.
Protesters also voiced concerns about recent changes in agricultural policies. They called for a rollback of the new agricultural market draft and urged the government to pass a law guaranteeing Minimum Support Price (MSP) based on C2 cost plus 50%. They demanded complete loan waivers for farmers and legal safeguards for tenant farmers.
Another major concern was the Indo-American Free Trade Agreement, which they opposed, fearing it would hurt local agriculture and jobs. They also pushed for an expansion of the Employment Guarantee Scheme, asking for 200 workdays per year and a daily wage of ₹600. Additionally, they demanded the repeal of the Electricity Amendment Act.
The rally included voices from several organizations such as CITU, Farmers Associations, IFTU, and AITUC. Key participants included J Venkatesh, Eswar Rao, Srikanth Kurapati Ramesh, M Shobhan, Prabhulingam, SL Padma, Anuradha, Narasimha, and Yadagiri.
The united front emphasized that their struggle would continue until the government listens and acts in the interest of workers and farmers.
