JAMMU, November 3, 2026 – Coinciding with the reopening of the Civil Secretariat in the winter capital of Jammu, hundreds of daily wagers and ASHA workers took to the streets on Monday to stage a massive protest march, demanding the immediate regularisation of their services and the strict implementation of the Minimum Wages Act.
The protesters, assembling under the banner of the All J&K Daily Wagers Sangharsh Samiti, attempted to march toward the Civil Secretariat to press the newly elected government on their long-pending demands.
However, the march was intercepted by a heavy deployment of police personnel near the MLA Hostel, where the administration had erected barricades and barbed-wire fencing to prevent the crowd from advancing towards the seat of the government. The situation briefly escalated into a scuffle between the protesters and the police as demonstrators attempted to breach the barricades. Following the confrontation, police detained Sunny Kant Chib, the president of the All J&K Daily Wagers Sangharsh Samiti.
Before his detention, Sunny Chib addressed the media, expressing deep frustration over the government’s inaction. He highlighted that the daily wagers have been protesting continuously for the past two years, reminding Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of his pre-election promises.
“Nothing has been done till now. Today’s protest was to wake up this government so that the demands for the regularisation of daily wagers and the implementation of the Minimum Wages Act are fulfilled,” Chib stated.
Taking a direct aim at the Chief Minister, Chib added, “The chair on which Omar Abdullah is sitting today does not belong to his family; it belongs to these poor people. It is because of their votes that he is sitting in that chair today. If he occupies that position but cannot deliver justice to the poor, he has no right to remain in that chair.”
The protesting leaders accused the administration of being preoccupied with political maneuvering while ignoring the severe economic hardships faced by the working class. The Sangharsh Samiti has firmly resolved to continue its agitation until the government issues concrete orders fulfilling their long-standing demands for regularisation and minimum wage implementation.
Published by True Roots Media Network