Starting with 5 ASHAs in Tinsukia district in mid-2007, quickly followed by a district convention attended by about 300 and then a demonstration on 17 JULY before the DC office with about 400 participants, our work in Assam made a really very impressive beginning. But then one problem after another began to crop up. The ruling class parties -- the Congress and the BJP and particularly the Vishwa Hindu Parishad -- began to pull the ‘ASHA’ leadership in opposite directions to snatch the initiative from us. They started a slander campaign against me for I was the only male in all the female ASHA organisation. The BJP succeeded in winning over the leadership and we could not even hold any meeting. After a gap of nearly three years a state-level trade union was formed and registered in June 2010.
However, another government-sponsored organization was formed soon and it started disturbing us in every possible way. But we went on taking one programme after another, like holding a state mobilisation on 3rd October 2010 where more than 3000 ASHAs were mobilized, then a sit-in- demonstration of about 500 in front of the Assam Assembly in session, then again a NRHM Head Quarters gherao on 4th March next year, and so on.
In June 2011, a group of about 40 ‘ASHA’s of the rival organization forcibly disrupted the state council meeting of our union in Guwahati, while a large contingent of CRPF and Assam Police remained silent spectators. Owing to their violent slander campaign and our failure in taking all-out initiative due to dearth of organizers, they were able to restrict our expansion only to 8 districts out of 27 districts in Assam. Meanwhile, infighting has started within the rival organization on the question of funds.
As things stand, the state structure of our union exists in a much deconsolidated state. To bring it back to the right track, district and PHC level workshops should be held, particularly on topics like: the significance of consolidating relations with AICCTU, why and how we should try and elevate ASHA leadership to the level of AICCTU leadership, overall idea of past and present-day working class movement, the protracted nature of the ASHA movement, the need of both grass-roots initiative and initiative from state and central levels, etc.
In sum, the ASHA have a great urge to get organized. Wherever we took initiative, we succeeded. And yet, we have not taken sincere initiative in most districts and states. The CITU has successfully organized the Anganwadi workers at national level and also taken initiative to organize the mid-day meal workers. This should sensitize us to the task of organizing the health workers, an overwhelming majority of whom live below poverty line and in villages where they are closely integrated with the downtrodden rural population. There must be adequate direction and guidelines from Party, AICCTU and AIPWA leaderships in this regard. Women leaders can play a more effective role here than male comrades; so we must build up women trade union leaders in good numbers.
Subhas Sen, Co-convenor, All India ASHA/Sahiya Association and AICCTU national Secretary
