Tag Archives: care work Kerala

Government, Left watch, Movements, Politics, Public health

Kerala Must Lead the Way : Kameshwari Jandhyala writes to the Kerala CM on the ASHA Workers’ Struggle

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To

Shri Pinarayi Vijayan

Honourable Chief Minister

State of Kerala

Sir

Subj: Kerala Asha workers struggle for justice

I am writing to appeal to your sense of justice and support for workers’ rights especially with regard to the Kerala Asha workers struggle for timely payments, commensurate incentives and remuneration on par with other development workers.

The participation, unstinting labour and commitment of women has been central to several development initiatives in the country, including Kerala. The sad and ironic part is that these women workers are labelled as volunteers and their labour not given its due recognition, respect and remuneration commensurate with the ever-expanding portfolio of responsibilities they shoulder. To remind ourselves, during the Covid pandemic Asha workers across the country bravely, and at considerable personal risk, reached out support to their communities.

Many of us look to Kerala to take the lead to determine and protect the rights of all workers even those labelled as “volunteer workers”. And I am sure Sir, your government is all too aware that “volunteer” is a misnomer, as Ashas are doing full time work.

Once again, I appeal to you and your government to take a positive  to meet the demands of the Asha workers.

Kameshwari Jandhyala

Hyderabad, Telangana

Debates, Democracy, Feminism, Government, Left watch, Public health

To the CM of Kerala: In solidarity with ASHA workers: Panchali Ray

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The COVID-19 pandemic brought home that everything of value, beginning from the very regeneration of life, is entirely dependent upon human labour in all its diverse, productive and reproductive forms. Yet, this life-making regenerative labour is pegged at the lowest level when it comes to recognition, rights, entitlements, and status in the labour market. While this is a no-brainer when it comes to governments committed to capitalism that rely on women’s unpaid/partially paid labour to drive development schemes, one wonders how the government of Kerala, committed to a more egalitarian political economy, unleashes violence of such magnitude on grassroot women workers.

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Bad ideas, Democracy, Feminism, Government, Left watch, Politics, Public health

Who’s Lying? Condemn the Brazen Attack on S Mini: Althea

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As the ASHA workers’ resolve continues to remain unbroken in the third week of their struggle, the CITU leadership in general and the CPM cyber spokesmen in particular are losing their cool completely. S Mini is a familiar figure to people in Thiruvananthapuram in the many battles for justice that we have witnesses over the past twenty years . She is among the few women in Kerala who have embraced a full public life without desire for power, status, or visibility. The organisation she is part of, the SUCI, has long suffered ridicule. The big bully of left politics in Kerala, the CPM, has long tried to pick on them. Like all bullies, the latter keeps talking of how small they are.

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Debates, Democracy, Feminism, Government, Left watch, Public health

ICAN stands in solidarity with Kerala ASHA Health Workers Association (KAHWA)

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The Indian Community Activists Network (ICAN) extends it unwavering
support to the striking ASHA workers led by the Kerala ASHA Health
Workers Association (KAHWA).


ASHA workers, at the grassroots level, are the main workforce of the public health sector. However, the succeeding governments at the Centre and states have always refused to recognise their immense value to the poor and needy in the rural India. They serve village folk and carry the health messages to the doorsteps of every household.


Despite their great service they are the lowest paid employees who are
euphemistically known as volunteer-workers. Using this title, the
government has abandoned its responsibility to pay them a decent salary. We are dismayed to note that the situation is no better in a state like Kerala ruled by LDF which boasts of speaking for the poor.


Friends, your demand to raise your remuneration up to Rs. 21,000 is just in view of the minimum wage Rs. 18,000 of an unskilled industrial worker approved by the government. ICAN hopes that the LDF government sees merit in all five demands raised by you and act in a reasonable manner by accepting them. We are confident
of your success.


In solidarity
Arvind Murti

Debates, Democracy, Feminism, Government, Left watch, Public health

Medical Professionals in solidarity with the striking ASHA workers of Kerala

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28th Feb 2025

Kerala’s public health system, the pride of the state, stands on the labours of many groups of people who are neither paid well nor recognized enough. The ASHA workers form one such important group who reach out to Kerala’ those sections of the lower middle class and the poor sections who cannot afford expensive private care. They are our vital health support structure in the event of pandemics and natural disasters, too. In Kerala, in the past decade we have known at least in two moments of crisis – the floods of 2018 and the pandemic – how crucial this force is in containing disease and keeping up the morale of people even in the remotest locations. As Kerala’s public health system gears up for further challenges, the workloads of these workers will only increase; the current workloads they carry, of carrying out numerous health surveys is already huge indeed.

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Debates, Feminism, Government, Left watch, Public health

Open Letter to the Kerala Chief Minister about the Ongoing ASHA workers’ strike: Cynthia Stephen

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Respected sir,

As a long-time advocate for the rights of women and their empowerment, we are used to comparing the situation of women in Kerala as a good model for women’s empowerment in all fields of life. The history of workers’ struggles and the fact that even women in the informal sector receive government benefits after retirement is a shining example to the rest of the world. 

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Debates, Feminism, Left watch, Politics, Public health

‘Anarchists’? ‘Tin-pan fund collectors’ Movement’? What is the Kerala Asha Health Workers’ Association?

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In the past few weeks, the CPM ministers, CITU leaders like Ilamaram Kareem and CPM cyber propagandists have been relentless in their attack against the SUCI, heaping on them insult after insult. The preferred insults have been ‘anarchists’ and ‘tin-pan fund collectors’. The SUCI is a small group of committed people who have however produced significant political impact. They have indeed been a thorn in the flesh of the local CPM for quite some time — from at least the anti-waste dumping struggle at the panchayat of Vilappilsala in 2012 to the K-Rail protests, the SUCI’s intrepid persistence was important in forcing the government to back off. These insults are not new either; we have been hearing them since back in 2012 or earlier. But the Kerala Asha Health Workers’ Association has been especially targeted for slander, as though they were just a tool of the SUCI.

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Debates, Democracy, Feminism, Government, Law, Left watch, Public health

Find a solution to the strike by ASHA workers in Kerala: Statement by Writers and Socio-Cultural Activists

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We request the Kerala Government to take necessary actions to end the day/night strike of the Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers in front of the Kerala secretariat for the last 17 days by meeting their just demands. ASHA workers were the backbone of our valiant fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. However, their work is not acknowledged by our society or our government. The honorarium they receive is paltry compared to the important work they are
doing.

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Debates, Feminism, Government, Left watch, Politics, Public health
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Artist: Archana Ravi, in solidarity with the striking ASHA workers of Kerala