A group of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) protesting outside the Kerala Secretariat have appealed to veteran actors Mohanlal, Mammootty, and Kamal Haasan to refrain from attending the state government’s official ceremony on November 1, which will declare Kerala an “extreme poverty-free” state.
In an open letter, the workers said that the 26,125 ASHAs, who earn barely Rs 233 a day, themselves live in conditions of extreme poverty.
“Kerala cannot be called free from extreme poverty while we continue to live in misery,” the letter stated.
By participating in the event, the actors would “unknowingly become part of promoting this falsehood,” it said.
“With love and respect, we, the impoverished ASHA workers of Kerala, humbly request you to withdraw from the government’s poverty-free declaration ceremony,” the letter urged.
It also invited the actors to visit them at their protest site, stating, “Please come and see us, the ASHA warriors in front of the Secretariat, those who cannot afford three meals a day, who struggle to educate our children, pay for medical care, or repay debts. Declaring Kerala free from extreme poverty without addressing our plight is nothing but a deception by the government.”
The ASHA workers, under the banner of the Kerala ASHA Health Workers Association (KAHWA), have been staging a sit-in outside the state secretariat since early this year, demanding fair honorariums and post-retirement benefits.
In October, they intensified their agitation during President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to the state, marching towards Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s residence and clashing with police. Several protesters were detained and later released.
The post “Kerala can’t be called poverty-free while we live in misery”: ASHA workers urge actors to skip “poverty-free” declaration event appeared first on Maktoob media.
