"Massive 'Mahapadav' protest in Delhi highlights plight of Indian workers", 11 November 2017

While many say that GST [Goods Service Tax] and demonetisation have dealt a severe blow to their livelihoods, some still remain hopeful that the Modi government will take steps to address the fast deteriorating conditions.

...Parliament Street has over the past two days turned into a sea of workers from across the country who have come together to draw attention to rising joblessness. Flagged by various Left-affiliated and other independent trade unions to mark the first anniversary of demonetisation, the ‘Mahapadav’, as the dharna is being called, seeks to address the fast deteriorating conditions of workers in India today. The protest hopes to make a powerful statement against what the organisers call the “anti-people policies” of the Modi government.

...Many of them think that Modi’s promises are big but he has not been able to deliver. “Workers are the backbone of the economy. How can the economy grow if they are in an unprecedentedly miserable state?” asked a truck driver from Odisha.

Irrespective of their political affiliations, the workers wished to show a mirror to the government, tell the officials that all is not well and hoped the prime minister will now sit up and address their long-neglected concerns.