BJP government of Madhya Pradesh, Release the leaders of ASHA and Anganwadi unions, including CITU Secretary AT Padmanabhan immediately
MP after Haryana will not tolerate the dictatorship of the BJP, and its effort to supress the workers’ movement
All India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers (AIFAWH) strongly condemns the arrest of struggling Anganwadi Workers, Helpers and Asha Workers and Facilitators and CITU leaders in different parts of Madhya Pradesh. The Federation also condemns the harassment being done by the BJP Government to Anganwadi workers, helpers and Asha workers of Madhya Pradesh.
Today, the ASHA and Anganwadi Workers and Helpers of Madhya Pradesh under the banner of joint platform had announced an assembly march on 7 March 2022 for their pending demands. But under the supervision of the Shivraj government of Madhya Pradesh, the Madhya Pradesh Police started suppressing anganwadi workers, helpers and Asha workers since 6th March itself. The steps include threatening the workers, helpers and families of workers, cancelling the booking of the vehicle, threatening the drivers and pressurizing them not to board the government buses etc, the same way as in Haryana.
- T. Padmanabhan, CITU state secretary and president of the ASHA union, was arrested from CITU office at 5 am and taken to unknown place. Hundreds of vehicles were stopped at different places since this morning. Thousands of workers have been harassed. Struggling workers, protested and sat on dharna at the places, where they were stopped, on the highways near Bhopal. Hundreds of Anganwadi and ASHA workers have been cordoned off at Bhopal railway station, where a protest meeting is going on.
It is important to remember that the agitating anganwadi workers and helpers are demanding the implementation of the announcement of increase in remuneration made in the year 2018 and ASHA workers are demanding the wage increase agreement announced after the strike last year. The BJP government of Madhya Pradesh has resorted to severe repression to stop the movement of these frontline workers who are still risking their lives to fight the pandemic.
We condemn the repressive and fascistic steps of the Madhya Pradesh Government and we salute the courage of the brave anganwadi workers, helpers and ASHA workers of Madhya Pradesh who have been fighting for their rights since long and facing oppression bravely. We call upon the anganwadi workers, helpers and ASHA workers across the country to burn the effigy of the BJP government and protest against the severe repression of the anganwadi and ASHA workers struggle. All are requested to organize protest programs against these cowardly and repressive steps of BJP government across the country. We also request all those who believe in democracy including various unions to come forward to support the just and democratic struggles and to oppose these steps of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and other BJP governments.
It is shocking that the BJP government of Madhya Pradesh has the audacity to permission to its pocket union to hold a demonstration near the Vidhan Sabha in this city of Bhopal today itself and bounded the CITU workers in the station and in the forests. This exposes the BJP governments. We will not tolerate this. And we are not afraid of this dictatorial attitude of BJP. With the support of the people, we will give a befitting reply to BJP and will struggle tirelessly to achieve our rights.
Issued by
Usha Rani, National President A R Sindhu, General Secretary
