IT News
Imphal, June 27:
A convention for ASHA workers was held in Manipur, focusing on the theme “Major Issues and Grievances of ASHA Workers of Manipur” to discuss their plight and imbalance between the work they do and salaries they receive.
Th Purnimashi Devi, President of the All Manipur ASHA Workers’ Association, emphasized the disparity between the responsibilities of ASHA workers and their remuneration. “ASHA workers are tasked with not only attending to women and pregnant women but also managing non-communicable diseases and numerous other responsibilities. The compensation we receive is not commensurate with the work we do. We are not even regular employees. The state share was initially 500 rupees, which was later increased to 1000 rupees. However, there has been no further increase. The central government provides an additional 2000 rupees. We demand that the state government increase its contribution to at least 3000 rupees, making our total salary 20000 rupees,” she stated.
There are around 4,000 ASHA workers in Manipur, but not all are part of the union. Various speakers at the convention highlighted the pressing issues faced by ASHA workers and criticized the government’s handling of their concerns.
CPI Leader Sotinkumar Laishram, Chinglen Maisnam, Faculty, Manipur University, and Th Sujata, Convenor of Imagi Meira, were among the prominent voices at the event.
Chinglen Meisnam highlighted the plight of women who are often the most affected by police actions during protests. “Women are the ones who suffer the most from tear gas injuries. We need to look at the situation holistically. Many of us went to prison for protesting against unemployment. Now, we can only write and speak, but there is no scope for action,” he said. “Everyone is suffering, workers as a whole are suffering in Manipur,” he added.
The convention underscored the urgent need for the state and central governments to address the grievances of ASHA workers in Manipur. The participants called for solidarity and decisive action to ensure fair treatment and adequate compensation for these essential health workers.
The event brought to light the significant challenges faced by these frontline health workers and called for urgent action from the state and central governments.
Addressing the ASHA workers, Th Sujata and Khaidem Mani raised significant issues concerning the turmoil in the state.
Th Sujata pointed out the failure of the BJP-led state government in addressing the issues of ASHA workers. “The state government is weak, and the central government does not care. They claim they cannot do anything because they are weak. We need to ask why they are in power if they cannot address our issues. These ministers’ excuses are completely unacceptable. We cannot even travel to Jiribam or anywhere else. The Congress should also address the issues raised by the 10 Kuki MLAs,” she asserted.
Khaidem Mani, another speaker, criticized the current state of governance in Manipur. “One minister even admitted that it feels like there is no government here. He said the government would not fall if he left, so he plans to leave. Another leader mentioned that the government is weak and unpopular. As lawyers, intellectuals, activists, and politicians, we have failed to convince our people. We keep passing the responsibility to others,” he lamented.
He further stressed the need for collective action. “Let us see what the government can do by the end of the month since there is a new government in Delhi. If nothing changes, we should all unite to topple this government. We need a movement similar to the one on June 18, 2001, when everyone fought together. The two MPs elected from Congress, with popular support against the BJP, have been asked by CSOs to raise many issues. However, these issues should be raised by the Chief Minister and state cabinet ministers,” he added.