Thiruvananthapuram: The Accredited Social Health Activists, or ASHAs, have been on strike in front of the Secretariat for 58 days, and those responsible for addressing their grievances have often resorted to humiliating them — ignoring their demands.

ASHAs, a critical link in the country's public healthcare system, commenced their protest strike demanding a hike in honorarium, post-retirement benefits, and recognition as workers. The female protesters have been targeted in an unprecedented attack. The police removed a tarpaulin sheet tied to shelter them from rain, and registered cases for hindering vehicular traffic.

Though the Union Minister for Health's announcement in Parliament on March 11 that the ASHAs' incentives would be raised was welcomed, he did not specify the hike or when it would be implemented. Meanwhile, in Kerala, they were subjected to verbal humiliation by those who matter.

Insulted and humiliated
MV Govindan (State Secretary, CPM): An anti-Left rainbow coalition of SUCI, Jamaat-e-Islami, BJP, and Congress is behind the ASHAs' strike.

Elamaram Kareem (State General Secretary, CITU): Some ASHAs are teaching us, who have grown through agitations, to protest. This is a political strike to sabotage the LDF government.

R Chandrasekharan (State President, INTUC): This strike was declared without any discussion. This is not a people's movement. INTUC need not go there.

Minister Veena George: The strike is politically motivated. A group has incited ASHAs to protest. A similar group was behind the anti-K-Rail stir.

Minister V Sivankutty: They should have an idea of how to end when they start a protest. While passing by the protest site, you see mostly SDPI and SUCI workers.

Minister R Bindu: Protesters should have shown the spine to raise their demands when a Union Minister visited them instead of singing "manimuttathaavani pandal...".

KN Gopinath (State Secretary, CITU): It is unclear if Suresh Gopi, who visited the protesters, kissed them, too, besides providing them with umbrellas. Earlier, there was such a precedent.

A Vijayaraghavan (CPM Polit Bureau member): Those protesting are not the real ASHAs. Some people have been paid to protest. Their strike is for six months. Before ASHAs leave, those behind the strike will bring Anganwadi workers.

PB Harshakumar (State Vice-President, CITU): An organisation engaging in bucket collections at bus stands and railway stations is behind the protest. The protest is headed by people like Mini, a vermin that spreads communicable diseases.

INTUC's magazine: The protest venue of ASHAs has been turned into a selfie point. Begging for 'likes' after publishing another person's life and issues content on social media is a mental disorder.