Hundreds of Anganwadi workers and their helpers brought parts of Trichy and Madurai to a standstill on Monday through coordinated road blockades and protests. The demonstrations, organized by the Tamil Nadu Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Association, centered on a long-standing demand for formal government employment status and corresponding retirement benefits.
Core Demands: Gratuity, Pension, and Employee Status
The protesters presented a clear list of demands to the state government. Their primary request is to be officially declared as government employees. This status would unlock crucial financial security, including a retirement gratuity of ₹10 lakh for workers and ₹5 lakh for helpers. They also demand a monthly family pension of ₹9,000.
Beyond retirement funds, the association raised several operational issues. They seek a designated holiday in the month of May. They also requested that increments or the date of joining be fairly considered for those promoted from mini anganwadi centres to main centres. Furthermore, citing their primary responsibilities of child safety and preschool education, they demanded exemption from additional duties as booth-level officers for other government schemes.
Scenes of Protest and Police Action
In Trichy, a large gathering assembled at the district collectorate to voice their grievances. When their attempts to gherao, or surround, the collectorate were stopped by police, the protesters sat down on the road. This action led to significant traffic disruption in the area. The police subsequently detained more than 100 protesters to clear the blockade.
The scene was even larger in Madurai, where approximately 1,300 Anganwadi workers and helpers staged a protest near the district collectorate. Following the demonstration, police detained nearly all the participants and moved them to a nearby marriage hall as a temporary measure. All detainees from both cities were released later in the evening.
Ongoing Struggle for Recognition
This protest underscores the persistent struggle of Anganwadi workers across Tamil Nadu and India. Despite being the backbone of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme, handling crucial tasks like child nutrition, preschool education, and maternal health, they are often classified as honorary volunteers with minimal benefits. The scale of the protests in two major Tamil Nadu districts highlights the growing urgency for the state government to address their demands for job security and post-retirement financial dignity.
