The ruling Congress in Karnataka has found a creative way to protest the Centre’s move to replace the MGNREGA, in a decision that it claims will keep Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy alive at a time when it is under
threat.
The state government has announced that it will prefix the names of all 6,000 gram panchayat offices with that of Mahatma Gandhi, with an aim to reinforce the Gandhian vision of village-level self-governance.
This administrative overhaul, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar, was unveiled at a large-scale protest in Bengaluru against the central government’s move to repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
“To infuse strength into all panchayats, we have decided to add Mahatma Gandhi’s name in the prefix of all gram panchayats’ names,” Shivakumar told reports during the ‘Raj Bhavan Chalo’ march on Tuesday.
He explained the rationale behind the rebranding and the symbolic importance of this move. “By naming gram panchayat offices after Mahatma Gandhi, his legacy will be made permanent. Gandhi ji’s conviction was to have a school, cooperative society and a panchayat for every village,” he said.
Shivakumar further said Siddaramaiah has already given his nod to the proposal, with official orders expected to be immediately processed for renaming the gram panchayats. For example, he said, Kodhalli gram panchayat will be ‘Mahatma Gandhi ji Gram Panchayat-Kodhalli’.
During the protest, state Congress leaders criticised the newly introduced ‘RAM G RAM’ Act, which has replaced MGNREGA as the act regulating rural jobs scheme.
“We are fighting for the employment rights of the poor. It was Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh who gave employment to rural people,” he said, while highlighting the historical significance of the previous employment guarantee.
He also voiced concerns over the financial burden the new scheme places on the state, pointing out that while the previous model facilitated 90 percent central funding, the current one expects 40 percent contribution from the state.
“It is not right to scrap an entire scheme if there are some instances of corruption,” he said, addressing the allegations of mismanagement against the MGNREGS.
The deputy chief minister directed his ire towards the BJP and JD(S), specifically challenging their right to claim Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy.
“I heard that the BJP is protesting in front of a Gandhi statue. They have lost the right to sit before it. They have also lost the right to hang a photo of Gandhi ji in their offices,” he said.
