Mumbai’s historic Azad Maidan bore witness to a powerful moment on Thursday, 12th September 2025, when it became the epicentre of a reckoning long overdue. Contract labourers, Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers, and security guards gathered in hundreds to demand justice and dignity, led by the rising national political movement, the Sanay Chatrapati Shasan Party under the leadership of Prof. Namdevrao Jadhav.
This was no ordinary protest. Disciplined, democratic, and sharply articulated, the demonstration transformed within hours into high level talks with the Maharashtra Labour Ministry at Mantralaya, marking the first such direct engagement for the party.
The andolan began at 9:15 AM with groups of workers steadily pouring in, filling Azad Maidan with placards, slogans of equality, and voices united in constitutional demand. At the forefront were Mumbai Samparkpramukh Swapnil Sitaram Kalambe, Mumbai President Sarjerao Nikam, and Mumbai Sallagar Committee Head Prof. Shankar More sir, who addressed the crowd with speeches that resonated with both emotion and legal clarity. What set this protest apart was its uncompromising precision. The demands were not vague street calls but coherent policies rooted in the Constitution and long ignored by successive governments.
At the heart of the agitation were five demands that carried the potential to change Maharashtra’s labour landscape. Workers demanded the complete abolition of the exploitative contract labour system in government and semi government bodies, permanent employment of existing workers, and the enforcement of an Unemployment Allowance Act to provide a safety net to educated but jobless youth. They reiterated the need to uphold the 8 hour work law pioneered by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, which is still being violated in sectors dominated by contract workers. The age old injustice of unequal wages for the same job was challenged with a firm call for equal pay for equal work. Anganwadi and ASHA workers, the backbone of health and education at the grassroots. were championed as deserving of official teacher status with proper salaries. Security guards, too, were demanded to be recognized as part of a State Security Force, entitled to benefits and protections matching their indispensable role. Finally, universal access to PF, ESIC, health insurance, pension, accident compensation, and uniform post retirement benefits was put forth as a non negotiable right, ending the second class treatment of contractual employees.
By early afternoon, the sheer intensity of the agitation and its social media momentum forced the Labour Ministry to act. at 2:45 PM, a party delegation was welcomed into Mantralaya’s 1st floor for a decisive meeting. Swapnil Kalambe emphasized that no policy could be enacted without credible data and urged the ministry to conduct a comprehensive survey of contract workers statewide. Sarjerao Nikam, with his trademark firebrand voice, denounced the misuse of contract laws that strip workers of dignity, warning the government that delay could no longer be tolerated. Prof. Shankar More’s calm yet unyielding testimony painted a striking portrait of labour exploitation, 12 hour shifts without overtime, zero health coverage, and denial of basic entitlements. The Ministry’s Secretary listened attentively, acknowledging the force of the arguments and agreeing to review the demands seriously. A structured follow up meeting was promised.
For Prof. Jadhav’s Sanay Chatrapati Shasan Party, this was more than just another protest. It was a defining statement of its character and vision, a party that walks with the people on the streets before knocking at the doors of electoral politics. Firmly constitutional and deeply organized, the agitation bore no incidents of disorder, yet registered a political and moral victory that resonated across the state. Attendance registers revealed the active participation of district leaders, youth coordinators, women’s representatives, and citizen volunteers, underscoring that this was not a symbolic gathering but a mobilization of an entire working class movement.
As the sun set on Azad Maidan, one placard seemed to capture the spirit of the day, Your contract cannot void our rights. The words carried the weight of a new awakening. In its very first aandolan, the Sanay Chatrapati Shasan Party managed not only to secure a seat at the policy table but also to alter the conversation around labour in Maharashtra. The government has been served notice, workers will no longer remain silent, and the system will now be compelled to answer.