ASHA workers in Kerala have been protesting for 50 days. On Monday, some shaved their heads while others cut their hair, marching down MG Road in Thiruvananthapuram with their chopped hair in hand. But why are they protesting? Read on to learn about their demands and the government's response.
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00:00Hair shorn, mask-tortured heads and month-long hunger strike.
00:04This is the desperate fight of ASHA workers in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram.
00:08They are demanding post-retirement benefits, a pay hike and official recognition as government
00:12workers.
00:13It all began on February 10, 2025.
00:16Hundreds of ASHAs gathered in front of the Kerala Secretariat, raising their voices against
00:20what they call government apathy.
00:22Their demand was simple – dignity for the workers who are the backbone of India's
00:26healthcare system.
00:27Days turned into weeks, talks were held with the government, but no solution came.
00:32Now, on the 50th day, the protest has taken an intense turn.
00:36Thousands of ASHAs have cut their hair, some have shaved their heads bald – an emotional
00:40act of defiance against what they call government indifference.
00:44They even march with fistfuls of their own hair, chanting slogans on MG Road in Thiruvananthapuram.
00:50Similar protests have erupted in Alapura and Angamaly.
00:53Even male supporters have joined in, shaving their heads in solidarity.
00:57What are ASHA workers fighting for?
00:59The ASHA workers have listed 20 demands, but at the heart of it, their fight is for
01:03permanent employment after 16 years of service, fair honorarium rules that don't disqualify
01:08them unfairly, basic dignity official ID cards and uniforms with the National Health Mission
01:13emblem, medical security financial aid for work-related injuries and free treatment in
01:18government hospitals, better work conditions, no unnecessary transfers, reduced workload
01:24and weekly Sundays off, timely wages, no more endless service without proper pay.
01:29The left government in Kerala has taken a firm stance.
01:32It says there's no money to significantly increase the honorarium.
01:35It has placed the responsibility on the central government, claiming that funds under NHM
01:40for 2023-24 were never received.
01:43But the central government tells a different story.
01:45It says Kerala hasn't submitted a utilisation certificate, which is why funds are stuck.
01:50Union Health Minister JP Nanda even announced in Parliament that ASHA's incentives will
01:55be raised, but only after due process.
01:57The Kerala government insists this 50-day-old agitation is not a mass movement.
02:02It claims only 400 ASHAs from the Kerala ASHA Health Workers Association are involved, while
02:08the majority affiliated with the CITU-led union have stayed away.
02:12But Kerala ASHA Health Workers Association has a different version.
02:16They say their fight is not about politics, it's about justice.
02:19The question remains, how long will these women fight, how long before the government
02:23listens?