Tear-soaked Pongala for ASHA workers

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Lebsy Bai (59), a native of Udiyankulangara, offered pongala for the first time on Thursday. However, the divine offering did little to elevate her mood. Lebsy, along with the 100 other ASHA workers, have been camping in front of the secretariat for more than 32 days in protest.

"Kannaki Devi is the one who endured everything... that mother goddess will not fail to see our struggle for survival," Asha workers told Kerala Kaumudi. They said the protest in front of the secretariat was to get attention, and thus help open the eyes of the Pinarayi government.

Another ASHA worker Bindhu, a native of Vembayam, performed pongala with a broken hand. Bindhu was returning from taking a leprosy survey when a coconut fell on her. Bindu performed Pongala with the help of ASHA workers.

" My relatives would not have allowed me to perform pongala with an injured hand. But now, I was able to perform with the help of my sisters, said Bindhu.

On the instructions of Union Minister Suresh Gopi, BJP workers delivered one hundred Pongal kits to ASHA workers on Thursday. The union minister also visited the site on Thursday morning.