The decision to continue the agitation till the local bodies election, just months away, betrays their strategy, beyond any shadow of doubt, of scoring political and electoral brownie points. If further proof of the politics animating the strike is needed, it is available in an article published by a pro-Congress daily. The article says clearly the purpose is to prolong the agitation till the local bodies polls.

The very fact that the struggle is being led by the SUCI and Jamaat-i-Islami and supported by the BJP’s trade union wing, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, bares the political agenda behind the agitation. Interestingly, the Congress support to the agitation rejecting the stand of the pro-Congress trade union, the Indian National Trade Union Centre (INTUC) against it speaks for itself. INTUC leader R. Chandrashekharan saw through the game behind it and refused to back the strike. Nor does the strike have the support of the CITU.

That the struggle is aimed at maligning the LDF Government is clear from the fact that the agitators have refused to say a word against the Union Government, which alone has the power to raise the incentives of the ASHA workers. It has also failed to release the Rs 100 crore dues meant for the ASHA workers. If the Union Government is really sincere in its profession of concern for the welfare of the ASHA workers whose current status is that of volunteers, it should first categorise them as employees. That single step will entitle them to a host of benefits which are denied to them right now.

The biggest proof of the politics behind the strike is the steadfast refusal of the strikers to demand of the Union Government that it recognizes them as employees and raise their incentives.

Instead, the striking workers – only 450 workers out of more than 26, 125 ASHA workers in Kerala are on strike – are targeting only the Kerala Government. Their contention: they want the State Government to raise the honorarium from Rs 7000 at present to Rs 21,000! – a totally unreasonable demand which the cash-strapped Kerala Government is in no position to concede. Yes, the State Government can do it if the Union Government recognizes the ASHA workers as employees, which will bring them under the purview of the Minimum Wages Act in Kerala. It will entitle them to claim minimum wages in the State which is around Rs 800. In other words, the State Government will be able to concede the demand for Rs 21000 as honorarium if the Centre recognises them as employees!

Significantly, there has been an increase of ASHA workers who have reported for duty in Kerala. Initially, around 2000 workers had stayed away. But, now that the misinformation campaign has been exposed, more workers have boycotted the strike. Latest reports that as against 26, 125 ASHA workers in the State, a mere 450 refused to join duty are self-explanatory.

The Union Government would have the people believe that it does not owe Kerala a single rupee by way of dues for the ASHA workers. This is nothing but an unadulterated lie. Kerala Health Minister Veena George called the Central bluff by producing in the State Assembly, in session now, evidence to the effect that the amount for 2023-24 has not been cleared by the Union Government. This the Minister did by placing in the Assembly the Union Government’s own documents.

But the pro-opposition mainstream media in the State won’t believe it to be true. They continue to go by what the Union Ministers’ statements, which is nothing but a tissue of lies.

Another lie that is being touted day in and day out by the Union Government is that Sikkim, and not Kerala, pays the highest honorarium to ASHA workers. True, Sikkim announced, recently, that it would pay an honorarium of Rs 10,000 to ASHA workers. It has, till date, remained a mere announcement. The State has not started implementing the promise. Significantly, the Union Government accounts for 90 per cent of the expenses incurred by Sikkim on that account. This is in glaring contrast with what it is giving Kerala: just 60 per cent of the National Health Mission (HNM) share. In other words, Sikkim has to bear only 10 per cent of the expenses. Also, ASHA workers in Sikkim number only 625.

In another shocking instance Union Health Minister J P Nadda misled the Parliament by saying that the Union Government has paid Kerala the full amount it has to pay by way of ASHA workers’ dues. The truth is that the Centre owes Kerala Rs 630 crore for the year 2023-24. No wonder, CPI(M) MP in Rajya Sabha P. Santosh Kumar has signalled his intent to give notice for breach of privilege motion against Nadda for misleading Parliament.

Another Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi, who happens to be the first BJP MP from Kerala, went to the extent of warning the State in the House. Unless Kerala produced the utilization certificate for the funds Union Government has already cleared, there would be no release of further instalments of funds! The reality is that Kerala has already sent the utilization certificates. Not only that. The State has also sent the financial monitoring reports up to February 2025. This was announced by Kerala Health Minister Veena George by producing the documents released by the National Health Mission (NHM). This effectively demolishes the argument advanced by the Union Government that it has cleared all dues it owes Kerala in this regard.

Suresh Gopi also assured the striking ASHA workers in Kerala that he would take up with Nadda their legitimate demand for a raise in honorarium. He did have a talk with Nadda, who promised to raise it. But the Minister refused to give any time limit for doing so.

The criticism of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the BJP in Kerala that the State Government is doing nothing to end the ASHA workers’ strike is wrong. The State Government has had talks with the striking workers. And the state has already waived off five out of 10 criteria on which the payment of honorarium is based. The striking workers are demanding that the State raise the honorarium to Rs 21,000. Unfortunately, the state is in no position to do so, given the State’s poor fiscal health caused by the Union Government’s steadfast refusal to release funds it owes the State.

That the Union Government is not inclined to end the strike is also clear from the fact that Nadda refused to give an appointment to Kerala Health Minister Veena George who went to Delhi to meet him in an effort to end the strike. (IPA Service)