Draft National Labour and Employment Policy 'Inspired' by Manusmriti, Draws Criticism
New Delhi: The draft National Labour and Employment Policy, prepared by the Union Labour Ministry, draws inspiration from the Manusmriti, the controversial ancient Hindu text which is widely criticised for extoling and reinforcing social, economic and gender inequalities.
In the draft labour policy, labour has been termed as “rajdharma”, and with the policy also stating that that social norms consider labour as a sacred and moral duty that sustains social harmony, economic well-being and collective prosperity.
“In the Indic worldview, work is not merely a means of livelihood but a contribution to the broader order of dharma (righteous duty). This perspective recognises every worker — whether an artisan, farmer, teacher, or industrial labourer – as an essential participant in the cycle of social creation,” says the policy, reported The Telegraph.
“Ancient texts such as the Manusmriti, Yajnavalkyasmriti, Naradasmriti, Sukraniti and Arthashastra articulated this ethos through the concept of rajdharma, emphasising the sovereign’s duty to ensure justice, fair wages, and the protection of workers from exploitation.”
The Communist Party of India (CPI)-affiliated All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the draft policy, alleging that it has been prepared without consultation with trade unions.
The AITUC has demanded that discussions with the central trade unions should be initiated before finalising it for public opinion.
Experts have questioned the reasoning behind the policy drawing from ancient Hindu texts, citing the fact that in ancient times, workers had no rights and there was no wage system.
“To glorify the concept of srama (labour) as promoted by the Hindu texts is nothing but an attempt to reinforce the same caste-based hierarchical division of labour in which the Brahmins would enjoy the highest status for their ritualistic practices in religious ceremonies,” Pradeep Shinde, a faculty member at the Centre for Informal Sector and Labour Studies in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU told the newspaper.
“The fact that the Smritis are being invoked in the context of labour rights shows that the RSS is trying to assertively reinscribe the significance of Brahmin, which it believes must be recognised by the elected executives,” added Shinde.
He added that the comparison of labour to dharma or rajdharma is a flawed idea because it ignores rights, fair wages and safety of workers.
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