The Congress on Thursday (May 1, 2025) alleged that the last 11 years have seen the Modi government preside over “widespread depredation” of India’s workers, inflicting injustices such as “declining real wages, anti-worker labour codes and throttling of MGNREGA”.

On International Workers Day, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the path-breaking gig worker welfare measures in Telangana and Karnataka are only the beginning and the Indian National Congress envisions safe and secure employment for all of India’s working people.

“The last eleven years have seen the Modi Government preside over the widespread depredation of India’s workers, aided and abetted by the Government’s own policies,” he said in a statement.

Mr. Ramesh said there have been at least five major injustices inflicted upon workers in India over the last decade.

Listing out the injustices, Mr. Ramesh flagged “declining real wages” and pointed out that Labour Bureau data shows that between 2014-15 and 2022-23, real wages of agricultural workers rose by an annual average of only 0.8%, and just 0.2% for non-agricultural workers.

“For construction workers, real wage growth was actually negative. Even salaried workers have not been spared – according to PLFS data, after adjusting for inflation, salaried workers made 12% less in 2022-23 than they did in 2017-18,” he said.

Mr. Ramesh also accused the government of bringing in anti-workers labour code and rise in contractualisation.

“The Modi government’s four new labour codes of 2019-20 made employment more unstable for all workers. Contractualisation has become rampant, both in the public and private sectors. According to the Annual Survey of Industries, 98.4% of factories employed contract workers in 2019-20, up from 28.3% of factories in 2011,” he said.

Flagging the issue of de-industrialisation, Mr. Ramesh said the Modi government has systematically reversed India’s economic transformation, sending workers from factories back to farms.

“From 2011-12 to 2022, the total number of workers in manufacturing was stagnant, going from approximately 6 crore to just about 6.3 crore. Since 2018-19, the number of agricultural workers has gone up by 6 crore,” he said.

Mr. Ramesh claimed there has been a decline in salaried jobs and increase in self-employment.

“Self-employment rose from 51% in 2017-18 to a shocking 57% in 2022-23, while salaried work fell from 23% to 21%. The number of unpaid workers in the self-employed category has shot up from about 40 million in 2017-18 to 95 million in 2022-23. The mass unemployment crisis has forced workers to move into low-paying or non-paying jobs,” he said.

Mr. Ramesh accused the government of “throttling MGNREGA”, saying the budget allocation for MGNREGA has been slashed repeatedly and in 2023-24 it was at only 0.25% of GDP – the lowest in its history.

“As a result, the Modi government has suppressed MGNREGA wages. For instance, since 2014, the daily wage rate for Uttar Pradesh has increased just 4% per year, when inflation has been much higher than that,” he said.

As part of its Nyay Patra for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, the Indian National Congress had announced the five-point Shramik Nyay Guarantees, Ramesh pointed out.

Listing the guarantees, he said the Congress has promised a national minimum wage of ₹400 per day, including for MGNREGA workers.

The guarantees include the Right to Health law that will provide universal health coverage of ₹25 lakh, including free essential diagnostics, medicines, treatment, surgery, and rehabilitative and palliative care, Mr. Ramesh said.

The Congress has also guaranteed an employment guarantee act for urban areas, with a focus on building public infrastructure, making cities resilient to climate change, and bridging gaps in social services, he said.

Mr. Ramesh said the Congress has also promised a comprehensive social security for all unorganised workers, including life insurance and accident insurance.

The party has also vowed to carry out a review of the anti-worker labour codes passed by the Modi Government, and a commitment to stop contractualisation of employment in core government functions, he said.

“The Congress Party has stood firm with India’s working people since its inception, with Mahatma Gandhi himself guiding the historic Ahmedabad Mill Workers Strike of 1918 and several INC leaders like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, VV Giri, and Babu Jagjivan Ram being associated with the labour movement,” he said.

On the occasion of International Workers Day, the Congress reaffirms its allegiance to India’s working people and renews its commitment to the five-point Shramik Nyay Agenda, Mr. Ramesh asserted.

Hyderabad: The Ministry of Culture in collaboration with Heartfulness organised the closing ceremony of the commemoration of the 125th birth anniversary celebrations of Pujya Babuji Maharaj. The yearlong commemorative activities which included Ekatm Abhiyan, meditation and lifestyle improvement programs, skill building, etc., across multiple states in India such as Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh targeted to reach the lives of 12 crores of people in 65,000 villages have taken the message of Pujya Babuji Maharaj and the transformative impact of his work to all parts of India and the world.

Shri Jishnu Dev Varma, Hon’ble Governor of Telangana, graced this commemorative event, which was attended by over 50,000 participants in person with millions from 165 countries joining virtually worldwide.

The Hon’ble Governor of Telangana inaugurated “Babuji Vanam,” the world’s first energy transmission garden created in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, as a special commemorative legacy project.

The thematic garden is the first of its kind in the world, featuring forty species of trees that will absorb and radiate ‘Pranahuti’, the yogic transmission that nourishes the soul. A central water body in the garden depicts the origin of creation. The garden is meticulously designed to ensure that every drop of water is harvested. The gravel pathways serve as acupressure pathways. The percolation pits and gentle slopes are designed to guide water to a holding pond and hence tap surface water runoff. The trees in the garden have medicinal value as well and include Neem, Red Sandalwood, Tulsi, and Tropical Almond. The biodiversity patch attracts a variety of fauna and birds. A cow pen is also integrated in the garden, not only because they were dear to Babuji but also to enable children to pet them and get closer to nature. The garden is eco-friendly with consciously chosen materials, with stone trails, hedgerows for acoustic calm, and signage with quotes from Babuji and Sahaj Marg literature.

Visitors are encouraged to sit and lean against these trees to experience the subtle energy and deepen their inner stillness. The mandatory practice of silence in the garden helps one come closer to the Divine and guides the heart to deep silence that sustains.

A special exhibition showcased the life of Babuji Maharaj through a curated display of rare artifacts, photographs, and memorabilia. A digital version of the exhibition is available for download and this experience is also being shared across 165 countries for their viewing.

Rev. Daaji – Guide of Heartfulness and President of Shri Ram Chandra Mission said, “We are the product of the past – what we do now decides our future. What creates the bondage is not only from the past, but also the tendencies from the past give rise to desires. The past and future keep us bound. Move your attention to the Source. The solution is to transcend both the tendencies and the futuristic desires. To arrive at a clean state free from samskaras, Babuji designed the system of Sahaj Marg. He made meditation easier through Pranahuti or yogic Transmission.”

The event also witnessed the release of two special publications, the first of which is a book titled “Holy Tirthankars”, where Rev Daaji captures the essence of the lives of the 24 Jain Tirthankars, illuminating the deep spiritual heritage shared between Jainism and Heartfulness. The book unveils profound insights into the origins and legacy of both traditions, offering timeless wisdom for modern life. More than a historical or philosophical treatise, it is an inspiring call for the common man to embrace a life of spiritual awareness and ecological responsibility, something that is at the core of Babuji’s life philosophy.

The second book, “A Symphony of Love” is a luminous collection of messages received by Mother Hélène Peyret, the devoted scribe of Babuji Maharaj, during her Monday meditation sessions with Rev. Daaji between 2012 and 2015. These intimate and revelatory conversations explore hidden dimensions of human existence, gently expanding the reader’s consciousness.

Shri Jishnu Dev Varma, Hon’ble Governor of Telangana said, “It is a moment of deep joy celebrating the 125th birth anniversary of Babuji Maharaj on the holy day of Akshay Tritiya. In this world of cacophony, silence is a rare luxury. Silence is meditative and regenerative. Inaugurating Babuji Vanam today, which celebrates the great heritage of silence – I understand how to look within, how to regenerate through silence. Kanha has a spiritual atmosphere which says that truth is uncomplicated which what ‘Sahaj Marg’ is. It actually means truth is uncomplicated. Bliss is not an explanation; it should come from experience. This is what Sahaj Marg’s truth is. Swami Vivekananda once said that it is not following a dogma, but that our culture teaches of being and becoming. This holy land is the birthplace of many divine scriptures. Babuji Maharaj’s mission was to teach the world that truth is uncomplicated. Our rishis have always taught us to experience the truth.”

As part of the program, a captivating projection mapping created with support from the Ministry of Culture brought to life the journey of Babuji Maharaj, tracing his early years, spiritual awakening, and transformative impact on humanity. The visual narrative, set against the backdrop of Kanha Shanti Vanam, mesmerized the audience and offered a heartfelt tribute to his timeless legacy.

The closing ceremony of the commemoration of 125th Birth Anniversary Celebrations of beloved Babuji in 2025 concluded with the musical performance by Ms Sniti Mishra. The spiritually uplifting music resonated with lakhs of participants worldwide, inspiring them to imbibe the noble qualities of Babuji Maharaj.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to unequivocally condemn the “unconscionable” Pahalgam terror attack and act to defuse increasing tensions with India, the US State Department said on Thursday.

In a recap of the call, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce reported that Rubio also urged Pakistan to work with investigation attempts into the attack and reopen direct diplomatic communications with India. “Both leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to holding terrorists accountable for their heinous acts,” Bruce further added.

The diplomatic initiative comes after the April 22 terror strike in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which Pakistan-sponsored terrorists killed 26 individuals, including mostly tourists, and injured several others. The attack has triggered a sharp decline in India-Pakistan relations.

Escalating Cross-Border Tensions After The Attack

Following the Pahalgam incident, India has witnessed a rising tide of ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC). Indian security forces have accelerated counter-terror operations in the Kashmir Valley, along with a reaction to cross-LoC firing in Kupwara, Poonch, Tutmari Gali, and Rampur sectors.

India has been taking a series of retaliatory steps, such as suspending the Indus Water Treaty, stopping operations at the Attari Integrated Check Post, closing Pakistani airspace access, and lowering diplomatic representation in both nations. 

India’s Stern Warning Against Terrorism

After the attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged that India would pursue and punish all of them. “India will pursue terrorists and their backers to the ends of the Earth. Terrorism will not go unpunished,” he said.

A day later, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) convened to discuss the scenario. Officials apprised the CCS of cross-border connections between the attackers, pointing out that the attack was during successful Jammu and Kashmir elections and along its trajectory of economic recovery.

The US call for restraint and responsibility comes against a backdrop of increasing international unease regarding South Asian stability.