Ahead of the official declaration of Kerala as an “extreme poverty-free” state on November 1, the Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers in Kerala have written an open letter to actors Mohanlal, Mammootty and Kamal Haasan, expressing concern that the state government’s claim does not reflect the grim reality faced by its “poorest workers.”
ASHA Workers
Ahead of the official declaration of Kerala as an “extreme poverty-free” state on November 1, the Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers in Kerala have written an open letter to actors Mohanlal, Mammootty and Kamal Haasan, expressing concern that the state government’s claim does not reflect the grim reality faced by its “poorest workers.”
In the letter, the ASHA workers said that despite dedicating 18 years of service to public health, their extreme poverty and daily hardships remain unaddressed. They urged the actors to refrain from attending the state government’s extreme poverty alleviation programme scheduled to be held on November 1.
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Calling the programme “a big lie and hypocrisy of the Left government,” the ASHA workers said the actors’ participation would make them “propagators of that falsehood.”
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They pointed out that their daily wage amounts to only ₹233, out of which they have to spend at least ₹100 for work-related expenses. “How can we support our families with the remaining money?” they asked.
“We cared for people tirelessly during epidemics. Eleven of our colleagues who went into the field to take care of the sick died of Covid-19. We were hailed as the infantry of the health sector for our selfless service. But no action has been taken to improve our living conditions or end our suffering,” the letter stated.
The workers said many among them are on the verge of ending their lives due to debt. “We, the ASHAs, are the extremely poor—unable to afford three meals a day, educate our children, or survive if struck by a serious illness. Along with 26,125 other ASHAs, we earn a daily wage of ₹233. We are not free from extreme poverty, and we say this with our hands on our hearts. Declaring Kerala ‘extreme poverty-free’ without increasing our meagre wages is nothing but a lie and hypocrisy,” the letter said.
ASHA workers have been on a night-long sit-in protest since February 10, demanding fair wages.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is scheduled to officially declare Kerala as “free from extreme poverty” at a function to be held at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on November 1, 2025. Actors Mohanlal, Mammootty, and Kamal Haasan will be special guests at the event.
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