Tension grips Ayodhya as Holi draws near. Sanitation workers, unpaid for three straight months, walked off the job Thursday in a bold protest move. Their action has cast a shadow over the city’s preparations for the colorful festival, with garbage collection grinding to a halt.
Protests snaked through prominent locales like Sahadatganj and Lata Mangeshkar Chowk, where workers voiced fury over ignored grievances. ‘We’ve complained endlessly, but banks remain empty,’ one said. Promises of March 2 payments ring hollow, especially with impending holidays.
Voices from the picket line paint a grim picture. ‘No salary means no return to work,’ declared a veteran sweeper. Families suffer: ‘Ill workers can’t afford doctors.’ Incomplete paychecks – often just 8-9k rupees – add insult to injury, impacting over 3,000 staff.
The municipal corporation faces backlash for mismanagement. Ayodhya’s stature as a spiritual epicenter demands spotless environs, yet this fiasco risks festival squalor. Resolution demands not just funds but reforms to prevent recurrence.
As pilgrims flock in, the clock ticks. Swift government intervention could salvage the scenario, ensuring Holi in Ram’s city shines unmarred by discord.