ASHA workers' protest enters one month, Secretariat blockade on March 17

Thiruvananthapuram: The round-the-clock protest by Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) entered its 30th day on Monday, with workers showing no signs of relenting.

As the Kerala government continues to ignore their demands, the protesters have decided to escalate their agitation and move to the second phase of the strike, reported Manorama News. The ASHA Health Workers Association has announced that it will blockade the Secretariat on March 17.

Braving extreme heat for a month, ASHA workers have remained steadfast in their struggle, enduring personal hardships to press for their rights.

Two of the protesters — Seenath and Reji — display the grit of the agitators who have vowed not to back down until they win their fight.

Seenath, from Parathodu in Kottayam, has been battling cancer. After her diagnosis, her husband abandoned her. Despite her illness, she worked tirelessly to raise and marry off her daughter alone. Even now, she carries the burden of debt while continuing her fight against the disease. She has lived in the protest tent for the past month, refusing to back down.

Raji, a resident of  Nettayam in Thiruvananthapuram, is also facing severe hardships. Her mother has cancer, her father is bedridden, and her husband undergoes dialysis. With this job as her only source of income, she has still risked everything to join the agitation.