‘FOR the right of every child for food, health and education, for the right of every worker to minimum wages, social security and pension, let us reach the unreached, intensify our struggles to change the policies’ – the eighth conference of the All India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers was successfully concluded with this resolve. The conference was held from January 7-10, 2016 at Parsa Satyanarayana Nagar (RTC Kalyana mandapam), Arati Dasgupta Hall, Dipali Giri Manch, Hyderabad, Telangana. The conference decided to mobilise in large numbers for the march to parliament to be held on February 15, 2016 prior to the union budget 2016-17, under the joint platform, Samyukta Morcha of Anganwadi Employees’ Federations. AIFAWH decided to organise district level mobilisations to seek the support of the members of parliament on the demands of full financial allocation for ICDS, implementation of 45th ILC recommendations of minimum wages and pension for anganwadi workers and helpers and to stop privatisation of the ICDS.

The conference which is being held in the Silver Jubilee year 2016, started on January 7, 2016 with the hoisting of the flag by Neelima Maitra, president. K R Venugopal, chairman, reception committee, former joint secretary, Women and Child Development and principal secretary to the prime minister in his welcome address, emphasised the importance of the ICDS in our country. He   said “The essence of the ICDS programme thus directly represents all vital constituents of the Right to Life as guaranteed in Article 21 of the Constitution of India and as expanded by the Supreme Court of India in many of its path-breaking judgments such as those relating to the right to food, work, health, education, shelter and information. So, when the implementation of the ICDS programme fails, human and social development rights of the women and children are violated in the most crucial areas of their lives and given their numbers taken together the human rights of almost all the people of India are violated.”

Tapan Sen MP, general secretary, CITU inaugurated the conference. He called upon the delegates to strengthen struggles not only for their rights and to save ICDS but also against the neo-liberal policies of the NDA government. He said that the task before us is to raise the consciousness of the union members, as well as to mobilise workers, helpers, beneficiaries; other scheme workers and build strong inter linkages with all sections of society. He emphasised the major role the anganwadi workers and helpers can play in the democratic movement given the nature of their work.

The condolence resolution was moved by V C Kathyayani. The delegate session started with the presidential address which was delivered by Neelima Maitra. She drew the link between the world economic crisis, the imperialist design to overcome the crisis, to end welfare schemes in many countries in the world and the policies of the Indian government.

An 11 member presidium was elected with Neelima Maitra, Baby Rani (Andhra Pradesh), Maharani Konar (West Bengal), P P Kallyani (Kerala), Sharbani Chakrborty (Tripura) Subhash Rani (Punjab), Niroda Kakoti (Assam), Jayalakshmi (Telangana), Urmila (Haryana), Sunita (HP), Sreedevi Chude (Karnataka). The credential committee members were Shubha Shamim (convener), Krishna (Punjab), Shanta (Delhi), Sushila N (TN), Vidya Khangar (MP), Zainab Jahan (UP), S Leelavati (Kerala), Monisha Chakraborty (WB) and Indira Newar (Assam). Minutes committee members were Anju Maini (convener) Mahavir Dahiya, Indrani Mukherjee, and the resolution committee members were Veena Gupta (convener) Ratna Dutta, TV Vijayalaxmi, Thilagam, Yamuna, Jaya Barman and Veeralakshmi.

The report was presented by A R Sindhu, general secretary of AIFAWH. Saroj Sharma, treasurer placed the audited accounts for the years 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15.

The report consisted of three parts. 1. Current political situation, government policies and activities 2. Organisation and 3. On strengthening the ties with the beneficiaries and taking up the issues of other sections of the society.

The report noticed that during the last three years there were militant struggles in almost all the states and the remuneration of the anganwadi workers and helpers has increased in 15 states. In almost all the states, the mobilisation capacity, striking power and influence of the state unions has grown manifold. The participation of anganwadi workers and helpers in the joint programmes of the trade unions has also increased. But this is not reflected in the membership of the unions, the report noted.

Part 3 of the report titled ‘Our responsibilities and our potential’ with the experience of ‘Project Save ICDS’ conducted in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, had drawn out a plan of action for involving the beneficiaries in varied activities to strengthen the anganwadi centres with better services. Further, it empahsised the need to take up the issues of various sections of the people, peasants, agricultural workers and workers, issues of civic amenities like drinking water, roads, better health facilities and social issues of gender discrimination, sexual harassment, dowry, child marriages,  caste oppression etc. and in the process build organisations of different sections of the people. It also showed how AIFAWH as an organisation can consciously campaign and take up struggles against the communal divisive forces.

74 delegates took part in the discussions which was held in three sessions.

The conference was greeted by the leaders of fraternal organisations. Hannan Mollah, general secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha greeted the delegates and called for militant joint struggles. He emphasised the role the anganwadi workers and helpers can play in educating and organising the rural poor. He also stressed the need for joint actions not only to save ICDS but to save crores of children of mother India from hunger and malnutrition. AIDWA joint secretary and founder joint secretary of AIFAWH, Kiran Moghe greeted the conference. She highlighted the areas of common interest and scope of joint struggles which can be taken up by AIDWA and AIFAWH like women’s issues and issues of poverty and malnutrition. Avoy Mukherjee, DYFI general secretary assured full support to the struggle of AIFAWH and reminded the importance to fight against communal danger.

The cultural team from Telangana inspired the delegates with revolutionary songs and cultural programmes. On the evening of the third day various state delegations presented their cultural programmes.

Resolutions on various issues were adopted by the conference. The resolution on Save ICDS was moved by Sreelaxmi and supported by Molina Ghosh, the resolution on organising scheme workers was moved by Jaya Barman and supported by Usha Rani, the resolution on the women’s reservation bill was moved by Veeralaxmi and supported by Indira Newar. The resolution on demands was moved by Anju Maini and supported by Manisha Chakraborty.

In a very emotional function, 15 founder members of AIFAWH including Neelima Maitra, founder general secretary and Maharani Konar who had attended the foundation conference of AIFAWH at Udaipur, 25 years ago, were felicitated. They were presented a shawl and memento by the office bearers of AIFAWH.

The credential report was presented by Shubha Shamim. 594 delegates from 23 states, of whom 62 were anganwadi helpers, participated in the conference. 26 percent of the delegates were less than 40 years old and 40 percent of the delegates were aged 40-50yrs. 27.6 percent of the delegates had educational qualifications above graduation. 68 percent of the delegates were from socially backward castes and minorities. 42 percent of the delegates belonged to agricultural labour and unorganised worker families. 41 percent of the delegates have more than 20 years of service and 67 percent have been members of the union for more than 10 years. There were ten delegates who had attended all the eight conferences of AIFAWH and sixteen were elected people’s representatives.

After the reply by the general secretary the report and accounts were adopted unanimously.

A 71 member working committee, and 21 office bearers were elected in the conference with Usha Rani as president, A R Sindhu as general secretary and Anju Maini as treasurer. Other office bearers include K Hemalata, T Babyrani, S Varalakshmi, Mary Job, Kajol Rani Sarkar, Shubha Shamim, all vice presidents;  Subbaravamma, Indira Newar, H S Sunanda,    V C Kathyayani, P Jayalakshmi, T Daisy, Santosh Rawal, Kishori Verma, Veena Gupta, all secretaries and  Neelima Maitra, permanent invitee. K Hemalata, secretary CITU, delivered the concluding address.

With slogans and revolutionary songs in different Indian languages the conference ended with the call for massive mobilisation on  February 15, 2016 march to parliament by the Samyukta Morcha of Anganwadi Employees’ Federations.

The conference decided that prior to the march,  there should be a massive campaign and mobilisation at district/parliament constituency headquarters in the last week of January/first week of February,  approaching the MPs for support for increased budget allocation for ICDS, implementation of 45th ILC recommendations on scheme workers and against privatization, to save ICDS.

In case of no increase in wages of anganwadi workers and helpers in budget 2016-17, throughout the country, effigies of the prime minister will be burnt on March 1, 2016.

The conference decided the following tasks:

Movemental Tasks

1.                    Intensification of state and central level campaign and struggles on the demands of minimum wages, social security benefits and regularisation and for strengthening ICDS

2.                    Develop joint campaigns to ‘Save ICDS’, to formulate alternative policy for ICDS

3.                    Pay special attention to address the problems of anganwadi helpers with specific demands. Take up the issues of mini anganwadi workers as well.

4.                    Take up mass campaign on issues of working class, peasantry, rural labour and other sections of the society

5.                    Involve all the anganwadi workers and helpers in the struggle against the danger of communalism and all other divisive ideologies.

Organisational Tasks

1.                    All India centre to be strengthened with more cadres and developed as a ‘resource centre’

2.                    Building organisation in all states and UTs where we have no union, particularly in the north eastern states, with the help of other organisations

3.                    Conscious linking of ‘Sangharsh-Shiksha-Sangathan’ at all levels

4.                    Take up widest possible campaign on issues through the silver jubilee campaign of  ‘25 leaflets’ and complete it by July 10, 2016

5.                    Concentrate on development of ‘Conscious, Committed and Capable Cadres’ to achieve 25 cadres in each district target. Prepare syllabus at the national level and develop teams of ‘educators’ at all levels

6.                    Achieve the membership target to reach seven lakhs by the next conference. Become the majority union in at least ten states

7.                    More planned efforts for strengthening the organisation in ‘Hindi speaking states’ with a plan at the centre level

8.                    Develop efficient state centres with full time main functionaries, ensure effective functioning of all committees, particularly the project committees in all states

9.                    Conscious efforts to build cadre from among helpers and promote them to all levels of leadership to achieve the target of minimum 25 percent helpers in committees

10.                 Make efforts to develop joint campaigns with other fraternal mass organisations to save ICDS

11.                 Develop stronger ties with the beneficiaries and make serious efforts to organise them in various mass and class organisations.