Palghar: A unique protest organised by the Bhumiputra Elgar Sanghatana outside the Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP) office in Jawhar on Monday ended in a major victory for 60 local women workers who had been removed from their jobs at government-run ashram schools.
After nearly seven hours of agitation, the administration agreed to reinstate all the dismissed women employees and initiate the process of clearing their pending salaries, which had reportedly been unpaid for the past seven to eight months.
The protest, termed a Dhulaai Andolan, began with a march from Rajiv Gandhi Maidan to the project office. Several workers and supporters participated, raising slogans and carrying placards to highlight their demands.
In a striking demonstration, the women began washing students’ clothes and bedsheets outside the office premises, symbolically showcasing the work they had been doing for nearly two decades in ashram schools. They also set up makeshift stoves at the protest site and cooked food there, staging a sit-in to intensify pressure on the authorities.
The workers alleged they had been abruptly removed from service without prior notice after the administration introduced outsourcing arrangements.
Meanwhile, the issue also echoed in the Maharashtra Legislative Council in Mumbai. MLC Dr Manisha Kayande raised the matter in the House through a Point of Information, demanding immediate intervention. Tribal Development Minister Dr Ashok Uike assured the House that the matter would be looked into.
With the protest continuing on the ground and the issue being raised in the legislature, the administration moved swiftly and issued written assurance that all 60 women would be reinstated and their pending wages cleared.
The announcement triggered emotional scenes at the protest site, with several women breaking down in tears of relief. Many credited the Bhumiputra Elgar Sanghatana for supporting their struggle and helping them secure justice.
The protest was led by organisation leaders Navnath Bhoye, Sunil Lone and Pramod Pawar, along with several activists and supporters. Leaders and members of the Marxist-Leninist Party, including Sheru Wagh, also visited the protest site and extended their support to the agitation.
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