Police Uses Water Cannon on Protesting Anganwadi Workers in Punjab and UP

The Anganwadi workers who have been protesting simultaneously in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh were brutally attacked by the respective state machinery.

In Punjab, the police have resorted brutal attack on the protesting Anganwadi workers in Patiala on Monday midnight. Thousands of workers from all over the state have gathered under the banner of All India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers (AIFAWH) to gherao the residence of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, New Moti Mahal.

The protest, Mahapadav, was against the government’s decision to merge 800 primary schools and the decision to start pre-primary classes in these schools by merging with Anganwadis.

According to Usha Rani, president of AIFAWH, the government would affect around 64,000 employees in 26,833 Anganwadi centres across the state and the government’s decision to merge these centres with primary schools was not in their favour.

The government’s new move would lead to the closure of the Anganwadi centres and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), AIFAWH said in a statement.

While the police used water cannon on the protesters who were sleeping at the mid-night. Many of the workers including Usha Rani were injured in police attack. Following the attacks, the police marked the arrest of protesters including Usha Rani.

Condemning the attack on protesters, AIFAWH demanded the release of arrested protesters.

“AIFAWH strongly condemns this cowardly act of the Punjab government which infringes upon the democratic rights of the people and demands the immediate release of the arrested union leaders,” AIFAWH said in a statement.

The protesters have marked their dissent over the denial of their fundamental right to stage protest against the anti-social policies of the government.

On another hand, in Uttar Pradesh, the thousands of Anganwadi workers gathered in GPO in Lucknow raising their demands.

The demands include regularisation of about 5,000 Anganwadi workers and a hike in wages.

The police used water cannons and resorted lathi-charge to suppress the protesters. Following the attack from the police, the protestors sat on a dharna' at GPO. Twelve workers were arrested during the protest which began at 1 PM and continued till late night.