Prologue
Two decades ago, in 2005, India witnessed a transformative moment in social policy: the formal recognition of employment as a right. MGNREGA became a lifeline for marginalized households, embedding dignity into labour. Today, as the government plans to introduce a new law in its place, Sonia Gandhi’s response frames the seriousness of this shift.
Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s official statement:
20 years ago, when Dr. Manmohan Singh ji was the Prime Minister, the MGNREGA law was passed in Parliament by consensus. It was such a revolutionary step, the benefits of which reached crores of rural families. In particular, it became a source of livelihood for the deprived, the exploited, the poor, and the extremely poor.
It is a matter of great regret that, just recently, the government ran a bulldozer over MGNREGA. Not only was Mahatma Gandhi’s name removed, but the form and structure of MGNREGA were arbitrarily changed without any discussion, without consulting anyone, and without taking the Opposition into confidence.
The Modi government has attacked the interests of crores of farmers, labourers, and the poor, landless rural population of the country.
Twenty years ago, I too fought to secure the right to employment for our poor brothers and sisters; today as well, we are committed to fighting against this black law.
Dear brothers and sisters,
— Congress (@INCIndia) December 21, 2025
20 years ago, when Dr. Manmohan Singh ji was the Prime Minister, the MGNREGA law was passed in Parliament by consensus. It was such a revolutionary step, the benefits of which reached crores of rural families. In particular, it became a source of… pic.twitter.com/73tUFSjRTy
Epilogue
Whether the VBGR bill brings reform or erosion remains a subject of national contention. Sonia Gandhi’s statement underscores simmering anxieties across rural communities and Opposition benches. At stake is not merely one law, but the principle of livelihood security and the need for consensus-driven legislation in a parliamentary democracy.
[This content is written with the help of AI. The image is also AI-generated.]
