The protest by workers of a private company in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, is not merely a local incident; it is a vivid testimony to the growing class struggle in the country and the harshrealities of the capitalist system. The fact that workers have to take to the streets for basic and legally guaranteed rights such as minimum wages, fixed working hours and overtime pay is the greatest tragedy of the present system. Initially, the workers tried to raise their voices through democratic means – by putting forward demands, engaging in discussions, and pursuing peaceful follow-ups. However, profit-driven capitalist owners, instead of showing any social responsibility, attempted to suppress the workers’ voices using supervisors and the management machinery. This is not just an example of industrial repression, but an open display of oppression by the class that monopolises the means of production. Meanwhile, fuel shortages, scarcity of gas, black marketing and soaring inflation have made workers’ lives unbearable. Real wages are declining while the prices of essential goods are skyrocketing. Trapped from both ends, the anger of the working class is bound to erupt. When the essentials of survival are taken away, struggle becomes inevitable – this is a lesson from history. The government’s roleIn this context, the role of the government’s labour department becomes extremely important. However, today this machinery has ceased to be a neutral mediator and has instead become an agency openly implementing pro-industry policies. Instead of maintaining a fair balance between workers and employers, the state machinery is siding with capitalists. As a result, the legal and administrative framework available to workers is becoming meaningless. Also read: How Social Media Propelled Workers’ Protests at Major Indian Energy CompaniesEven more serious is the near absence of representation of the working class in democratic institutions – both in the legislative assemblies and in parliament. Those who get elected largely represent the interests of the ruling class. Then who will listen to the workers? This political gap is intensifying feelings of helplessness, frustration, and failure among workers. In such an environment of repression and neglect, when anger erupts and takes a violent form, merely condemning the violence will not solve the problem. It is the responsibility of the state to identify and address the socio-economic causes behind such violence. Violence is a symptom – not the disease; the disease is an unjust economic system. Is it the beginning of a widespread movement?Such incidents are not limited to Noida. Similar conflicts have erupted in industrial and labour hubs like Gujarat, Bihar and Haryana. When viewed collectively, these events clearly signal the possibility of widespread social instability in the near future. On one hand, educated unemployment is rising sharply in the country; on the other hand, available employment is unstable, contractual and based on exploitative outsourcing conditions. Workers have no job security, no fixed wage structure, no dearness allowance and no social security. In such circumstances, they are forced to live extremely insecure lives. This situation is a direct outcome of neoliberal policies, where human labour is treated merely as a cost. When all institutional powers – the capitalist class, state machinery, judiciary and legislature – stand on the side of one class, class struggle inevitably intensifies. This struggle can potentially transform into a broader social movement. We have already witnessed mass movements in neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar, where people rose against economic inequality, unemployment, and the policies of the ruling class. These uprisings shook existing regimes. It is essential for India to learn from these developments. Today, rising economic inequality in India has already taken a frightening shape. In such a situation, if the spark of workers’ discontent ignites, it could turn into a massive social explosion. Therefore, instead of adopting a repressive approach, the government must recognise the legitimate demands of workers and implement labour-centric policies rather than industry- centric ones. Otherwise, history is witness – when the oppressed rise, no power can stop them. Devidas Tuljapurkar is joint secretary of the All India Bank Employees Association and former director of the Bank of Maharashtra.