Telangana Rythu Sangham Holds Protest Against Removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s Name from MGNREGS

Hyderabad: A protest meeting was held at Raj Bahadur Gaur Hall, Makdhoom Bhavan, under the auspices of the Telangana State Rythu Sangham, opposing the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Speakers at the meeting strongly condemned the move, terming it unjust and an affront to the legacy of the Father of the Nation.

Addressing the gathering, Syed Aziz Pasha, former MP of the Communist Party of India (CPI), recalled that world-renowned poet Rabindranath Tagore had bestowed the title “Mahatma” upon Gandhiji in recognition of his unparalleled service to humanity. He described Mahatma Gandhi as one of the greatest leaders in the world who played a decisive role in securing India’s freedom and independence.

Pasha also cited remarks by the last Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten, who had acknowledged that the deployment of 60,000 soldiers failed to contain communal violence between Hindus and Muslims in Punjab, whereas Mahatma Gandhi alone succeeded in diffusing tensions in United Bengal, preventing even a single communal murder. He emphasised that Mahatma Gandhi commands respect not only in India but across the globe as a people’s leader and the Father of the Nation. Removing his name from a crucial scheme aimed at eliminating rural poverty, he said, was unjust and must be opposed by the masses.

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CPI MLC Nellikanti Satyam termed the decision an act of “extreme arrogance” by the ruling party and demanded that the move be withdrawn immediately.

Presiding over the meeting, Pashya Padma of the All India Kisan Sabha alleged that the RSS, which he accused of glorifying Nathuram Godse, has historically harboured hostility towards Mahatma Gandhi. He said the removal of Gandhi’s name from the scheme reflects the ideological influence of the RSS on the BJP government. Drawing a contrast, Padma noted that while Gandhiji envisioned Gram Swaraj or village self-rule, the RSS-BJP leadership promotes corporate self-rule, which, he claimed, explains the move to erase Gandhi’s name.

The meeting was also addressed by Kanthiah and Madhav Reddy, leaders of the agricultural labour union, who echoed the demand for restoring Mahatma Gandhi’s name to the employment guarantee scheme and called for continued resistance against policies affecting rural workers and farmers.