The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and Central Trade Unions on 10 August mobilised workers, farmers and other sections of working people in a nationwide Jail Bharo protest against the Narendra Modi government’s economic and labour policies. The SKM warned that if the government fails to address the demands, it will launch an intensified and sustained nationwide struggle from 26 November 2026.

Groundxero | 10 August 2026

The August 10 Jail Bharo movement, spearheaded by the Central Trade Unions and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), witnessed massive participation across the country. Marking the 84th anniversary of the Quit India Movement of 1942, the mobilisation brought together farmers, agricultural and industrial workers, Anganwadi and ASHA workers, students, youth and women in protest against what the organisers described as the surrender of the BJP-led Modi government to US imperialism and the corporate global trade order.

Gujarat

In several places, protesters broke through barricades, scuffled with security forces and staged sit-in protests outside government offices, refusing to disperse until they were arrested.

Vijayanagaram, AP

The SKM congratulated working people across the country for the “massive response” and saluted the student, youth and women’s movements for extending “unconditional support” to the mobilisation. It said the participation reflected growing opposition to the Modi government across different sections of society.

Tamilnadu

The decision to launch the protest was taken at the SKM’s All-India Convention, held on 28 July 2026 at the Civic Centre Auditorium in New Delhi, which was attended by 1,200 delegates. The convention resolved to resume and intensify mass struggles until the organisation’s demands are met.

The SKM said the 10 August mobilisation was deliberately timed to coincide with the 84th anniversary of the Quit India Movement and formed part of its campaign against what it calls the “MSP loot” under a “Corporate Raj”, under the slogan “Save Agriculture, Save India”.

Dahanu, Maharashtra

On 29 July, the National Convention of Workers and Farmers was held at Talkatora Stadium, attended by around 5,000 leaders of trade unions and kisan organisations. The convention called for the repeal of the four Labour Codes, a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP), an end to privatisation, creation of jobs and universal social security. It also resolved to intensify the joint struggle against US-India trade tariffs and the government’s “anti-people policies”.

Punjab

A memorandum incorporating the core demands adopted at the 28 July SKM All-India Convention and the 29 July National Convention of Workers and Farmers was submitted to the President of India on 10 August.

Charter of demands

The memorandum includes demands for:

• opposition to free trade agreements and a call for corporates to quit agriculture;

• protection of farmers’ land rights;

• enactment of legislation guaranteeing MSP at C2+50 per cent, with assured procurement for all crops;

• restoration of MGNREGA with 200 days of work and a wage of Rs 700 per day for agricultural workers;

• a loan waiver and Rs 25 lakh compensation for the families of farmers who have died by suicide;

• repeal of the four Labour Codes;

• a minimum wage of Rs 42,000 for all workers;

• protection of federal rights and an increase in states’ share of the divisible tax pool from the current 31 per cent to 50 per cent, including cess and surcharge;

• complete rejection of electricity privatisation and prepaid smart meters; and

• withdrawal of the Seeds Bill, 2025.

SKM alleged that the Prime Minister is succumbing to US imperialist pressure to impose the India-US Free Trade Deal and other FTAs. It said that this is a grave assault not only on millions of peasants and workers, but also on lakhs of Small and Medium Enterprises. “As far as agriculture is concerned, FTAs are going to import cheap crops/agri products, further erode agricultural viability, capture food processing markets and further change cropping patterns to damage food self-reliance,” SKM poited out.

The SKM reiterated that a decisive mass struggle, coordinated with joint platforms and organisations of workers, farmers, agricultural workers, students, youth, women and other social sections affected by what it described as the corporate assault under the NDA government would be advanced on the basis of worker-peasant unity.

It said the objective of the struggle was to end the prolonged agrarian crisis and labour exploitation and to build a “modern democratic, federal, secular India”.

The SKM warned that if the Modi government fails to accept the demands, working people across India would have “no option” but to escalate and sustain mass struggles across the country from 26 November 2026 until the demands are secured.

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) said that over 10 lakh people courted arrest across more than 1,000 centres on August 10 as workers, farmers, agricultural labourers and other sections joined a nationwide ‘Jail Bharo’ mobilisation called by the Central Trade Unions and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM). CITU described the mobilisation as a historic nationwide action and warned that the August 10 protests mark the beginning of a new stage of sustained joint struggles by workers and farmers. It said that the coordinated protests, held despite heavy rains, floods and reported instances of police repression, marked a major escalation of resistance against the Central government’s economic and labour policies.

The report is based on a press release by SKM and CITU. All images are courtesy to SKM.