Anganwadi workers hold protests against AAP and BJP, demand revocation of termination letters

Calling it the ‘Naak mein dam kar abhiyaan’, the union has been taking out rallies in different localities and protesting outside local offices, sloganeering against both parties, and distributing pamphlets explaining their protests.

On Thursday afternoon, they took out a demonstration at Uttam Nagar, and on Wednesday, the rally was held at Patel Nagar.

These protests start after 2 pm, so workers and helpers who have resumed their duties can also join. However, most participants of these protests have been those whose services were terminated by the Women and Child Development department.

“Before this, we were protesting for better pay for all anganwadi workers and helpers, but now we’re protesting for ourselves,” said a 50-year-old woman who had been working as an anganwadi worker for 16 years.

She received her termination notice over WhatsApp on March 13 – one among over 950 workers and helpers who got them over the span of three days – for being an “active part of the strike, agitation and dharna”.

Another woman, a 36-year-old who had been working as an anganwadi worker for the last 15 years, said she does not intend to look for a new job.

“We will take back our old jobs, and we are trying to make sure that they listen to us. I don’t want to go against anyone, but we are so frustrated. Unless we express our frustration on how we think we have been wronged, they won’t know. There’s no point being scared, what harm could have happened has already happened to us,” she said.

The union had suspended its strike after the L-G’s office prohibited it on grounds of their services being ‘essential’ and invoked the Haryana Essential Services Maintenance Act.

However, they have challenged the termination orders and the imposition of the HESMA in court, and have been carrying out their street campaign to demand the withdrawal of the notices and that they be called for negotiations with the government.

The Delhi government on Tuesday assured the Delhi High Court that it will not terminate any more anganwadi workers or helpers, but the court maintained that the government statement should not be construed as any stay and it should not lead to workers and helpers stopping any work.