Kerala Asha Workers Cut Hair in Protest

Leaders of the ongoing protest by Asha workers before the Kerala secretariat, intensified their stir by cutting their hair on Monday, the 50th day of their movement. 

Many of the Asha workers were seen in tears and were shouting ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ as they approached the Kerala secretariat. 

Before cutting their hair, hundreds of women, with their tresses left open, walked down to the state secretariat and reached the venue, which is just 50 metres from the office of Kerala Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan.

At 11.10 am, a huge number of the protesting Asha workers cut their hair and the same thing happened in other districts of the state also.

One Asha worker got tonsured even as she kept shouting slogans.

“Our hair is precious to us like our children. Despite our genuine demands, the Kerala government is silent. We are not going to remain silent and we will not call off our protests till our demands are met,” said Bindu, one of the leaders leading the protests by Asha workers.

The Asha workers are demanding an increase in their honorarium from ₹7,000 to ₹21,000 per month, besides a lump sum benefit of ₹5 lakh each when they superannuate at the age of 62.

“Whatever happens, we will not return until our demands are met. All what we get for a day’s work is ₹232 and we are fighting for the most genuine demand. What’s sad is that the Left government has totally ignored us. We will stay here itself till we get a positive response,” said Mini, another Asha worker.

“The indefinite relay fast entered the 12th day on Monday and we wish to ask if CM Vijayan’s daughter will stay hungry for one day. We have no other option as we cannot survive with just ₹232 for a day’s work.

“We are just demanding what the Left manifesto claimed they would give us. The hair cutting protest is just the beginning and we will go forward with much more vociferous protests,” said another Asha worker.

There are 26,000 Asha workers in Kerala. Even though the CM Vijayan-led Left government, his Cabinet and party leaders have been saying that only a small number of Asha workers are protesting before the state secretariat, the women have received widespread public support.

Large crowds gather daily at the protest site to express solidarity with the Asha workers and on Monday there was a huge gathering of people and Asha workers at the venue.

Supporting the protesters are both the Congress-led UDF and the BJP-led NDA.

These parties have now announced that from the new fiscal year, the local bodies which they rule will provide additional payments to the protesting workers from their funds under the non-Plan category. 

However, Kerala Local Self Government Minister, M.B. Rajesh, dismissed this proposal as something which will never happen as rules do not allow this sort of payment.

He added that this was nothing but eyewash and playing to the gallery by making lofty promises which can never be implemented.

—IANS