Sources from Bengaluru have stated that 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The Karnataka State Anganwadi Workers’ Association had said their strike had been withdrawn since the State government had responded “positively” to their demands. When 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.”
