THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: ASHA workers, who have been protesting for a wage hike in front of the Secretariat, dismissed CPM leader Elamaram Kareem’s comments that anarchist groups were behind the agitation. “We don’t need support from people making such remarks. We are here for our rightful demands. We deserve to live with dignity. It is insulting for someone claiming to represent workers to belittle us,” the ASHA workers told the media.
They were responding to the article published by Elamaram Kareem in the CPM mouthpiece. He compared the ASHA workers’ protest to the Pembilai Orumai strike which he said insulted labour unions in the state and accused certain groups of misleading the workers.
He defended the state’s efforts, saying that the state provides one of the highest honorariums for ASHA workers in the country. He also noted that the release of Rs 468 crore under the National Health Mission (NHM) is pending with the Central government, which limits the state’s ability to increase payments.
The workers said that there are no political party flags at the protest and that they have no idea how such an allegation came up. “There are no political flags here. Protesters come from different political backgrounds, but we stand united beyond politics, caste or religion. We never ask about political affiliations when we do our work,” said the protestors.
Criticising the government’s inaction, the protestors questioned Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s silence.
“The CM calls the state, a land of renaissance, yet this protest is happening right under his nose. Why hasn’t he intervened?” asked the protestors. Opposition leader V D Satheesan countered Elamaram Kareem’s claims, accusing the government of double standards.
“When CITU, under Kareem, protested for similar issues, it wasn’t labelled anarchic. ASHA workers gather wherever I go, asking for solutions. This protest is not apolitical. Politicians like us support it. We have raised the issue in the Assembly several times,” said Satheesan.
He alleged that while the government claims to have increased the honorarium to Rs 13,000, workers receive only Rs 7,000 and the payments for three months are pending.