another day at Jantar Mantar and yet another protest

At Jantar Mantar's "protest street" on Tuesday, it was a sea of red.
Flags, bandanas, placards, even saris and shawls and kurtas were a deep shade of red – the color of the Center of Indian Trade Unions.
The superimposed hammer on the sickle, symbolizing the unity between the agricultural and industrial workers, was everywhere - on women's foreheads, on men's arm bands and on the banners. And the voices were deafening. It was one of those days when the protest street came alive. Of other days, there is a lull with long time protestors sitting outside their tents, chai in hand, reading newspapers or just
chatting.
Thousands of workers marched, shouting slogans, asking the government to address their plight, to stop lay offs in the name of recession and to regularize casual workers.
Women and men huddled together, smoking, munching peanuts, as they listened to the CITU, which is affiliated to CPI-M, representatives speak. They had come from different parts of the country, yet had one agenda – to better their lives and so on a breezy afternoon, they talked about their class, their insecurities, their fears and their hopes.
Next to NDMC food stalls, a group of anganwadi workers resting against the wall. They had come to participate in the rally from Bhiwani. For them the idea of a protest at Jantar Mantar guaranteed hope. This was the closest point where they could get their voices hear by those in the corridors of power.
For 25 years, Kitab Mati has been working as an anganwadi worker. With a Rs. 1,200 salary per month, her hopes of saving for her retirement have almost died.
"We have no old age benefits. We want to be made government employees.
With recession, we fear retrenchment," she said. "They are laying off people … 2,500 anganwadi workers lost their jobs in Haryana."
Next to them, forest department workers had their own woes to share. They had come from Rohtak. All of them wanted to permanent status, more money and regular wages.
For these workers, finding work all 12 months of the year is difficult.
"If the government makes us full time, then we will have assurance that we have a livelihood. Then we can move forward, educate our children, and dream for better lives," Sunita Devi, who has been with the forest department in Rohtak for 11 years, said. "We have come with hope. We have braved the cold, left our children at home. We want government to bail us out too."
CITU President said the working class was suffering while the government extended bailout packages running in crores to corporates.
"Workers have no relief. Only Bengal gives unemployment allowance to workers," Pandey said. "But there is no central government policy. We are fighting for that and for workers in the unorganized sector."