THE eighth conference of the All India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers concluded with a massive rally in Hyderabad on January 10. The rally began from Sundaraiah Park and culminated in a public meeting at Indira Park. Thousands of anganwadi workers and helpers from all corners of the state took part in the rally braving intimidation by the officials and authorities that if they took part in the rally they would lose their job.

Shouting slogans ‘idemi rajyam, idemi rajyam – idi dongala rajyam, dopidi rajyam’ (whose State is this – this is the State of exploiters), they vowed to bring it down through struggles and end the exploitation they are subjected to. The colourful rally of these most exploited women ‘workers’, who are not even called and recognised as ‘workers’, inspired one and all.

Addressing the gathering, Hemalata, vice president of the All India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers and national secretary of the CITU, congratulated the workers and helpers for rebuffing the repressive measures of the state government to stop them from participating in the union’s activities along with its efforts to disrupt the union. She said that the BJP led NDA government is pursuing the same neo-liberal policies as that of the earlier UPA government, but with a renewed vigour. Efforts to privatise the anganwadi centres in the name of Mission Mode are going on at full speed. It is only in Tripura under the Left Front government that there is no privatisation of the anganwadi centres. Workers and helpers are given a pension in this state.

Pointing out to the measures pursued by the central government to weaken the ICDS Scheme – cut in 2014-15 budget allocations for ICDS by more than half; reduction in the number of anganwadi centres, starting of more ‘mini’ centres which do not employ a helper and the wages of the anganwadi workers here are very low compared to the other workers; cut in the food material and nutrition supplied to the anganwadi centres and such other measures – Hemalata exhorted the workers and helpers to intensify their struggles to save the ICDS Scheme. She said, “If we have to stop these moves of the government, we have to take along with us the beneficiaries who are from the poor, marginalised sections of the society and are mostly unorganised workers themselves. Our problems are similar to theirs. We have to campaign among them as well. We go for home visits, we have this advantage; we should use it to campaign among the beneficiaries about the policies of the government and the need to resist and fight them.”

Hemalata asked the workers to remain vigilant and thwart any effort to disrupt the unity of the working class in the name of religion, region, caste, creed etc. She underscored the need to safeguard the unity of the country. She called upon the workers and helpers to participate in large numbers in the January 19 programme observed jointly by the trade union, kisan sabha and agricultural workers union commemorating the heroic struggle in 1982; and also in the March 1 programme. Concluding her address, she emphasised the need to understand the link between problems-policies-politics and intensify the fight to create a better future.

A R Sindhu, general secretary of AIFAWH, speaking at the public meeting, referred to the slogan given by the workers while marching in the procession – ‘idemi rajyam, idemi rajyam – idi dongala rajyam, dopidi rajyam’ – and questioned them as to who are these looters, who are these exploiters. She said, “These looters and exploiters are the ones who are cutting our pockets and filling the pockets of Adani and Ambani and their likes.” Presenting a contrast, Sindhu said that for a pair of sarees, the government gives an anganwadi worker Rs 300. But, recently Narendra Modi bought a coat for himself for Rs 10 lakhs. This is the attitude of the government, which accords inhuman treatment to the poor and god-like treatment to the rich.

Talking about the measures pursued by the TRS government in the state to disrupt and split their union, Sindhu reiterated that it is due to their fight that the wages of the anganwadi workers and helpers were increased in the state and it is not a charity of the government. She exhorted the workers to continue the fight till this government of the looters and exploiters ends.

C Ramulu, CITU state president, addressing the gathering spoke about the moves of the state government to disrupt the Anganwadi union. He expressed confidence that the anganwadi workers will not get cheated and will protect their union from these disruptive moves. He pointed out that on one hand, the government is asking the anganwadi workers to leave CITU and join the union set up by the chief minister’s daughter Kavitha, who is also an MP, and on the other hand it is moving ahead with its policies to curtail the rights of the anganwadi workers and to privatise the Scheme. He said that the recent government order – GO No: 14 – is brought to remove the workers on flimsy grounds in order to reduce their numbers. Ramulu questioned the sincerity of the government and asked as to why the said member of parliament, who also happens to be the daughter of the chief minister, did not fight against the cut in allocations for ICDS Scheme in the union budget.     

 Usha Rani, the newly elected president of the AIFAWH, called upon the workers to launch bigger movements to save ICDS.

Saibabu, CITU state general secretary, underlined the importance of the ICDS scheme and the work that the anganwadi workers and helpers are doing. He called upon them to fight against the moves to privatise the Scheme.

The public meeting was presided over by Bharati, president of the Telangana Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union.  

Jayalakshmi, general secretary of Telangana Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union, Rama, state convenor of Working Women’s Convening Committee, Varalakshmi, CITU national secretary from Karnataka and Baby Rani, president, Andhra Pradesh Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union also addressed the gathering. P Bhaskar, state CITU secretary proposed the vote of thanks.