 "Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi with ASHA workers during their protest against the Kerala government, in Thiruvananthapuram, last week. (Photo: PTI)")
Since their cohort was created in 2005, Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers have been a bulwark of India’s basic health care delivery system. But as their strike in Kerala enters its 30th day, activists camping under makeshift tents outside the Thiruvananthapuram Secretariat have pledged to escalate their protest. At its core is a single demand: “Pay us what you promised.”
Kerala has around 26,000 ASHA workers, a small fraction of the 1.1 million nationwide. Yet, their protest has drawn extensive attention, particularly from the Opposition in the state.
Last week, several senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including
