Not everything rhymes in the nursery

Beed: Guntegaon in Gevrai Tehsil of Beed District, a village in the drought-prone and distressed region of Marathwada in Maharashtra, broke into sorrow after Neeta Shinde, an Anganwadi worker ended her life on Saturday by hanging herself to an iron bar of the ceiling of the same building where she had been feeding the children from poor families.

Go to any Village in Maharashtra, at Anganwadis, a word that translates to backyard school, children are taught rhymes, short stories, alphabets, basic hygiene and are served meals. Anganwadis are lifelines, especially for malnourished children in the deprived regions but those who work closely here at Anganwadis are going under extreme stress to make ends meet due to irregularity in getting the already meager wages.

The sorrow of Neeta’s death can be seen on the face of the children gathered around the Anganwadi school, looking for their Mastarnibai (Teacher).

Anganwadi workers are not technically paid wages but an honorarium. Last year they had gone on a 26 day strike demanding a hike in their honorarium. Workers who are not even called government’s employee, teach and care for children are now paid Rs 6,500-6,800 a month and Helpers are paid Rs 3,500 a month after since the strike.

Neeta Shinde, a widow, lived with her father at his house and was dependent on the money that she earned by working in the Anganwadi number 1 in Guntegao village.

Neeta’s father Bhagwat Shinde narrates her tragedy, “My daughter was earning her own bread and butter independently through this job. She was going under extreme mental stress because of not getting her hard earned money since last eight months. She had borrowed money from others with a hope that she could return it back after Anganwadi money is disbursed.”

Neeta Shinde

Breaking into tears he narrates, “She had taken regular follow up and had taken up the issue with her seniors and got nothing but the frustration which ended her life. She strangled herself by using a dupatta (Stole) and ended her life in the same building, where she had been working for years.”

In Maharashtra alone, there are around 97,000 Anganwadi run by nearly two lakh workers. 56 lakhs children are being fed by these Anganwadis.

“These workers are not even recognised as government employees. They have been feeding the malnourished children with their own stomach empty. They are also working for government assignments with their local and extended strength. They help in immunization programmes and census work. The responsibility of providing meals to 9 lakh pregnant and lactating women too lies on their shoulder.” Says Madhav Hiwale a block coordinator for an NGO from Partur in Jalna district.

Madhav, working for a UNICEF collaborative project in child rights shares his experience while working on the field, “It is not only the case of Neeta Shinde who went through the situation of such financial burden and mental stress. All Anganwadi employees share the same sorrow. Their work is increased with the implementation of any new scheme in the state but rarely a corresponding rise in the wages.”

The Maharashtra government had imposed the Essential Services Maintenance Act 2017 (MESMA) against strikes by Anganwadi workers in an order issued on March 15 this year, so that their strike should not affect food of malnourished children across the state.

A letter to the Sub-divisional Police officer written by Bhagwat Shinde, father of deceased has allegedly observed her senior supervisor neglecting concern even she tried to seek remedy for her issue. She could not get relief even after the consistent follow up, reads the letter.

The Sun sets on Guntegaon and the village dips into the darkness amidst sprinkle of rain. Roads are filled with water in small potholes. Children, again tomorrow, will get up early in the morning, attend the Anganwadi to see there is no Mastarinbai to offer food and sing rhymes for them.