NEW DELHI: As the nation observed a Bharat Bandh on July 9, drawing support from central trade unions, farmers’ groups, and public sector employees, Delhi’s Anganwadi workers also voiced their solidarity , but with a firm reminder of their own long-pending demands.
Shivani Kaul, President of the Delhi State Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union, spoke to Millennium Post, expressing full support for the bandh but also underscoring the decades-long neglect faced by Anganwadi workers.
“Even after nearly 50 years of service, Anganwadi workers remain outside the protection of any labour laws,” Kaul said. “They are treated as social workers rather than recognised employees, which strips them of their rights and dignity.”
Introduced in 1975 under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme, Anganwadi workers were tasked with addressing child hunger, malnutrition, and early childhood care. Despite playing a critical role at the grassroots level, these women have consistently been denied legal recognition, regular salaries, and social security benefits.
Kaul reiterated the union’s primary demand: regularisation of all Anganwadi workers. “The label of ‘social worker’ must be removed. It has been used to deny us protections that every worker deserves,” she said. Recalling the 2022 protest, she said, “We held a month-long strike, but instead of dialogue, the Delhi government imposed HESMA (Haryana Essential Services Maintenance Act) and detained workers.” Over 800 Anganwadi workers were terminated, and though around 400 have since been reinstated through court orders, the legal battle continues for the rest.
She also criticised the central government’s approach towards labour, calling it pro-corporate and anti-worker. “In the last 11 years, there has been a systematic effort to dismantle labour protections through new codes. These laws are designed not for the working class, but for capital interests,” she said.
While welcoming the Bharat Bandh, she cautioned against symbolic protests alone. “Such actions should not become just one-day shows. Yes, even one day matters—but the real goal must be concrete outcomes. Our fight is for legal recognition, protection, and constitutional guarantees,” she asserted.