THE strike of Anganwadi workers and helpers has been going on for the last 50 days in Haryana even as the BJP government in the state intensified measures of a crackdown on them. Despite all the tactics of repression, the movement has only strengthened and the strike is expanding.

TERMINATION OF SERVICES

Instead of resolving the demands, the BJP government has adopted the path of suppression towards the movement. In the last 10 days, termination letters have been issued to more than 50 workers and helpers, who are leading the movement. False cases are registered against the leaders in Jind, Kaithal, Gurgaon. Apart from union leaders, cases are being registered against the leaders of CITU, Sarva Karmachari Sangh Haryana, AIDWA under sections 186, 188, 283, 353, 506 of the IPC. 

On December 29, 2021, the chief minister has announced the release of a lump sum amount of Rs 1,000 for the work done during the duty of Covid and the retirement benefits of Rs 1,50,000. On January 2nd and January 12th, 2022, instructions have been issued by the department illegally that only those workers and helpers who are not on strike will get these benefits. This threat is being given with the intention to weaken the movement and has been counter-effective and it only strengthen the movement.

GOVERNMENT CREATES CONFUSION AMONG THE PEOPLE

On January 24th, the state government has tried to mislead the people by placing figures of honorarium and benefits of the states in the media. The government has claimed that Haryana is second in terms of giving the honorarium to workers and helpers and many facilities are being given separately which is proven to be factually incorrect. 

The reality is that in terms of honorarium to workers and helpers, Haryana is at number five, not at second position. In Puducherry and Tamil Nadu, workers and helpers have got employee status. In Puducherry, the honorarium of worker and helper are Rs 19,480 and Rs 13,330 respectively, in Telangana it is Rs 13,650 and Rs 7,800, in Tamil Nadu it is Rs 13,453 and Rs 7,720, in Kerala it is Rs 12,000 and Rs 8,250 (1000, 500 declared), in Madhya Pradesh it is Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000  respectively. Similarly, workers and helpers are getting retirement benefits of three lakh rupees in West Bengal and one lakh rupees and Rs 75,000 respectively in Kerala and Karnataka. In states like Maharashtra, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, it has been one lakh rupees and Rs 50,000.

STATE AT NUMBER ONE IN TERMS OF INCOME BUT COMPARISON WITH CHHATTISGARH-JHARKHAND

The state government has compared the honorarium of workers and helpers of states like Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh with that being given in Haryana.  Haryana ranks first in the country in terms of per capita income. While the national average per capita income is Rs 1,27,768, the per capita income of Haryana is Rs 2,39,535. 

According to the income of the states which are paying more honorarium than Haryana, Pondicherry is on 6th, Tamil Nadu 8th, Kerala 9th, Telangana 12th, Madhya Pradesh 27th according to per capita income status. The expenditure is also more according to the income.  The workers and helpers are demanding only what the centre and state governments had announced four years ago.

ANSWER BEING SOUGHT FROM THE GOVERNMENT

The coordination committee asked the government to inform why it is withholding the amount that the union government had announced as an honorarium in September 2018. Haryana government is taking this money from the central government for the last four years and it hasn’t reached the workers or helpers. The chief minister of the state himself had announced in the Vidhan Sabha on March 6, 2018, that the workers would get an honorarium equal to the semi-skilled,  unskilled category of contract employees in the outsourcing policy of the state government by recognizing them as such and it would be linked with dearness allowance. Using this method, the honorarium of anganwadi workers with more than 10 years of service was fixed in the semi-skilled category and those with lesser service period were fixed in the unskilled category. 

Recently, the government has fixed the salaries of contract employees under ‘rojgar kaushal vikas nigam’ by making three categories of the districts in the state. Salary of semi-skilled contract worker is Rs 15,763 - Rs 19,272 and that of unskilled category is Rs14,330 - Rs 17,520. 

The Indian government has released Rs 8,000 per worker for online work. This amount is more than Rs 20 crore. The government is not giving mobiles and is pressurising the workers to work online. The government should answer this also. The chief minister himself had promised in a conversation with the unions on December 29, 2021, that an exgratia of three lakh rupees would be given to the anganwadi workers and helpers on the lines of ASHA workers, which was not given.

DOORS OF BJP-JJP LEADERS BEING KNOCKED AND LAID SIEGE THERE

Since January 17, the proceedings of knocking on the houses of BJP-JJP ministers, MLAs, prominent leaders and gheraos are being conducted across the state. Under these actions, so far, the Karnal camp office of the chief minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, Sirsa residence of deputy chief minister, Dushyant Chautala, Uchana and Faridabad have been gheraoed. Protests have been organised at Sirsa residence of power minister Ranjit Singh, Yamunanagar residence of education minister, Kanwar Pal Singh, Kaithal residence of women and child development minister, Kamlesh Danda, Faridabad residence of transport minister, Mool Chand Sharma, Bhiwani of agriculture minister, Jai Prakash Dalal, cooperative minister Banwari Lal. There have been demonstrations at the Rewari residence. And also, MPs including Faridabad Lok Sabha MP, Krishan Pal Gurjar, Sunita Duggal of Sirsa, Bhatia of Karnal, MLAs of BJP-JJP. Leaders from opposition parties are also reaching the protest sites.

NEXT STRATEGY OF THE STRIKE AND MOVEMENT

Meanwhile, the coordination committee has extended the strike till February 5th. Employees, workers, farmers, women's organisations and the general public are being appealed to rise up in favour of the movement. On January 28th, the families of workers and helpers will take part in the demonstrations. On February 1st, CITU and Sarva Karamchari Sangh Haryana will organise anti-repression protest actions with full force. On January 29th, effigies of the government will be burnt at the village and colonies level and the actions of the government will be taken to the public. Along with this, the deputation of the coordination committee will also meet the leaders of opposition parties appealing to them to raise their voice in their support and oppose repression of the government.