ASHA workers, often described as the backbone of India’s public health system, have been protesting for 50 days in Thiruvananthapuram, demanding better recognition and compensation. In a dramatic escalation on Monday, dozens of protesters cut their hair, with some even shaving their heads, to intensify their demonstration outside the Secretariat.
The protesters, who include both men and women, are calling for post-retirement benefits, an increase in their honorarium, and official recognition as workers.
Last week, a group of protesters also launched an indefinite hunger strike at the protest venue. One emotional protester, before shaving her head, shared her frustration: “It’s our lives that are being cut. This is our protest against ministers who ignore our pain. How are we supposed to survive on just Rs 232 a day?”
Mini S, a leader of the protest, said cutting their hair was not just an emotional gesture but a deliberate action to highlight their deep frustration. "None of our demands have been considered with empathy. This fight will spread across the state," she added. After the hair-cutting demonstration, the workers marched through MG Road, holding their chopped hair as a symbol of their struggle.
Similar protests have erupted in Alappuzha and Angamaly, with even male supporters shaving their heads in solidarity. ASHA workers have presented a list of 20 demands, with the core request being formal recognition as workers and fair compensation.
The workers are also calling for retirement at 62, ₹5 lakh as retirement benefits, permanent status within the health department after 16 years of service, revised honorarium criteria, new IDs, uniforms, and medical assistance. The Kerala government, however, has stated that a significant honorarium increase is not feasible and has shifted responsibility to the central government, citing the lack of funds under the National Health Mission (NHM) for 2023-24.
The central government, in response, said it had allocated the due amount but was waiting for the utilisation certificate from Kerala to release the funds. Union Health Minister JP Nadda recently announced an incentive hike for ASHA workers, though no timeline was provided. ASHA workers were introduced in 2005 under the National Rural Health Mission to provide essential healthcare services in underserved areas.
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