On March 19, 2020, PM Narendra Modi had urged the citizens to go out on their "terraces, balconies, or windows at 5 PM for 5 minutes to express gratitude to all those who are working 24/7 so that the nation becomes free from COVID-19." Cut to May 3, 2021, close to 25,000 employees of the National Rural Health Mission have threatened to stage a strike if their wages are not increased. The current wage of a staff nurse performing COVID duties under the National Rural Health Mission is rupees 13,000. To no avail, the union of workers under NHM has been asking for raise in the salary for more than two years, accepting to suspend their initial protest on October 12, 2020, due to the pandemic. According to the workers, even after shuttling from Dy. CM Nitin Patel's office to the MD of NHM M.A Pandya, they have not been able to find any resolution.

Author-Raveena