The ASHA workers’ strike in Kerala is in the forty-third day today. It is the fifth day of their hunger strike — three women have been on hunger strike since the failure of talks with the government last week. Today, they have called for a mass hunger-strike at the protest site. ASHA workers who stand with the strike but are not able to reach Thiruvananthapuram have been requested to wear black at their workplaces and homes. The KAHWA has issued an open call to all women in Kerala to wear black and post pictures supporting the strike.

There has been no let up in the insulting statements against the strike from the CPM’s top leadership. On the one hand, the Minister for Higher Education R. Bindu, whose JNU pedigree is much flashed by her lackeys, said that the striking workers lack a spine and hence will not protest against the union government. She accused them of singing a song from Suresh Gopi’s hit-movie when he visited the protest. If we have a Health Minister who seem to be completely oblivious of human vulnerability and pain, we have a Minister of Higher Education who is easy with ableist bullshit! Like a protesting ASHA worker remarked to me about her, “she is studying for Trump” — which is an allusion to the Malayalam way of referring to gaining higher education as if ‘Trump’ were a degree (avaru trumpinu padhikkuva) ! Rosamma, a leader of the KAHWA sent a tart retort to Bindu when she said that the workers were only too happy to sing a song for her : thullithulli nadakkunna kallippenne (bouncy little naughty girl…) if only she would come! Why are the leaders of the CPM not visiting, she asked. If they asked, there would be so many songs!

On the other hand, Thrissur MP Suresh Gopi claimed that he visited the protest because the protesters invited him. The protest leadership clarified this morning that the protest included ASHA workers from all political persuasions; workers have submitted petitions to the leaders of their chosen political parties and asked them to visit the site. But the KAHWA has invited no one and is open to anyone visiting the site. Again,they ended the clarification pointing out that the large numbers of CPM supporters in the strike are still waiting for their leaders to come.

Meanwhile, civil society support for the strike has been growing. Two ASHA workers at the brink of losing their homes to revenue recovery for relatively small sums unpaid, whose woes were highlighted by media, are receiving support. The Patriarch of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Baselios Marthoma Mathews III came out openly in support of the strike, offering to clear the debts of a worker, Anitha Kumari, whose only asset, her home, is being threatened with revenue recovery. Malayalis abroad who have been following the strike have been calling TV channels to find out how they could help. One of them has sent money to repay the debts of another ASHA worker, Kavitha, a single mother with two children whose husband deserted her. Children are going there to support the strike. Little Arnav who got a scholarship of Rs 500 for topping in studies, decided to give it to a good cause. “I watch the ASHAs every night. I want to give this cheque to them,” he said.

But what is most heartening and hope-giving is that Kerala’s people’s science movement which has played a crucial role in shaping development here has decided to stand with the strike. In a detailed, balanced, and sensitive statement signed by the KSSP president, the organization opposed the constant humiliation of the striking workers and pointed to the joint responsibility of the union and Kerala government in increasing the remuneration received by the ASHAs and in improving their working conditions. They remind us that this informality was introduced by capitalist globalisation that weakened welfare systems. [I will add a full translation of the KSSP statement soon].

Even more heartening is how some local bodies are beginning to increase the honoraria of their ASHA workers. The Varapetti village panchayat in the Ernakulam district has announced a hike of Rs 1500 for the ASHA workers there. It may not be healthy to make the local governments bear the burdens that the state government is rightfully expected to fulfill (given that the Health Department in Kerala, in some horrid colonial fashion, refused to be fully under the local bodies); nevertheless it is worth noting that the local bodies seem more empathetic to workers who carry out crucial welfare work, and they seem more committed to the larger welfare of the poor compared with the state government.

Whatever the boorish cyberbullies of the CPM claim, the workers want the left to reach out to them and indeed, claim their struggle as its own. A trade union which has members from all political parties, from all castes and religions, and which unites them in a common cause can only strengthen society. It is perhaps the only vehicle in which these divides may be eased. And the easing of the divides is surely a vital condition for a society that we on the left yearn for.