Anganwadi workers, who called off their four-day strike on Thursday have warned the government that their decision is conditional, subject to the outcome of the meeting scheduled on April 10, where they hope their demands will be met.
The Karnataka State Anganwadi Workers’ Association said their strike had been withdrawn since the State government had responded “positively” to their demands.
Addressing thousands of anganwadi workers at the protest venue, S. Varalakshmi, president of the association, said if the State government would not concede to their demands, they would march to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s house to stage a protest on April 10. The government, which had earlier scheduled the meeting on April 19, agreed to advance it as the protests grew in intensity and more people joined in, even as the Assembly saw a heated discussion on the issue.
Earlier in the day, several people, including members of the State government employees’ union and pro-Kannada organisations, and farmers’ leaders, extended their support to the workers. The workers had refused to budge until their demands were met.
Shielding herself from the sun with a newspaper, Dakshayani, 48, an anganwadi worker from Kotta, Sira taluk of Tumakuru district, said, “I have participated in over 60 protests, but I am hoping that this protest puts an end to all of them. This time, I want to go home only after getting ₹10,000.”
The association claimed that over 120 workers had fallen ill and had to be taken to hospital for treatment during the four-day protest.
