On January 22, thousands of anganwadi workers and helpers observed protest day throughout the country against the callous attitude of the government of India towards the increasing malnutrition in the country and the issues of anganwadi workers and helpers. Efforts are made by the NDA I and II governments to weaken the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme by continuous budget cuts and privatisation.

The recently released National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) data shows alarming indications of an increase in malnutrition in children for the period 2014-19. Nearly half of the children are anaemic, stunted, wasted and underweight. The pandemic and lockdown had made the situation worse with job and income losses, unemployment etc. UNICEF has warned that India will lose an additional three lakh children under five years of age in the next six months, due to poverty, hunger and malnutrition if this issue is urgently not addressed.

The government is also putting on risk the lives of anganwadi workers and helpers who are engaged in Covid duty, without paying them even minimum wages or even providing any safety measures.

At the call of AIFAWH, massive mobilisations were held at district/project level in Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, J&K, Jharkhand, Kerala, MP, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, UP and West Bengal and memorandum to the finance minister was submitted.

On January 21, 2021, a delegation of AIFAWH consisting of A R Sindhu, general secretary, Anju Maini, treasurer and Shakuntala, secretary along with Tapan Sen, general secretary, CITU met Smriti Irani, Minister for WCD and raised various issues and demands including increased budget allocation for ICDS to address alarming levels of malnutrition and to ensure risk allowance, insurance, minimum wages, social security and pension to the anganwadi workers and helpers. Other issues of privatisation and opening of pre-schools, unscientific digitisation, extra work, non-payment of wages and other benefits for months etc., were also raised by the delegation. The minister assured that the government is opposed to the privatisation of ICDS.

AIFAWH congratulates the anganwadi workers and helpers for the success of the protest and calls upon them to be prepared for countrywide protest in case there is no increase in allocation for ICDS in budget 2021-22.