‘Where Is the Mission Director?’ ASHA Workers Storm NHM Office in Guwahati

Tension brewed today at the office of the National Health Mission (NHM) Assam when representatives of the All Assam ASHA Association held a sit-in protest in front of the chamber of the Mission Director, citing his failure to turn up for a meeting scheduled earlier and long-pending issues of poor benefits and non-recognition by official agencies.

ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers, the backbone of India's rural health setup under the National Health Mission, have a pivotal role in translating government health strategies, enhancing public health awareness, and delivering key services to far-flung villages. Though integral to these tasks, the frontline workers have not been given government employee status and still remain on subsistence benefits compared to 2006 rates, which has spilled over into years of resentment.

All Assam ASHA Association had organized a meeting today at 10 AM to present a memorandum requesting the government employee status and better allowances. District representatives such as Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Cachar, Hailakandi, and Karbi Anglong had attended. The leaders found that on arrival, the Mission Director was not available in the state, which roused spontaneous ire among the ASHA workers.

Throughout the protest, the workers displayed strong slogans like "Explain why the Mission Director is absent after giving us a meeting time!", "What fear stops you from accepting ASHA's memorandum?", "Down with the Mission Director!", and "Shame on the Mission Director!" The sit-in, organized right in front of the director's room, indicated their fury as well as a feeling of betrayal by the very authority that was supposed to be supporting them.

Speaking on behalf of the All Assam ASHA Association, Subhash Sen, working President, declared, "ASHA workers are the backbone of public health in Assam. Years of neglect and lack of recognition have driven us to this drastic measure. Our memorandum is not a plea—it is a justifiable demand. However, the Mission Director shunned us today, showing complete disrespect for our work and integrity."

In spite of follow-up efforts to arrange for a meeting, the Mission Director made no appearance, nor was an official statement put out by the NHM. The only communication was from the Program Officer, who received the memorandum in place of the director. But the failure of the Mission Director to turn up has made ASHA workers disgruntled and furious, pointing toward increasing agitations among the state's frontline health workers.

The demonstration reflects long-standing grievances in Assam's public health system, particularly in the case of ASHA workers who remain unilaterally volunteered despite having huge responsibilities in national and state-level health programs. The federation issued the warning that their demands must be specifically addressed formally lest the demonstrations become more massive in succeeding weeks.

The day concluded with the ASHA workers calling off the sit-in, but the message was clear: the frontline workers will not stand for continued neglect, and the Mission Director of the NHM needs to hear them out.

Also Read: Assam Cabinet Decides On Benefits For ASHA Workers, Supervisors