# Kerala’s Satyagraha Gate still alive with dissent, says veteran journalist 2026-08-23T13:47:00+00:00 | India | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet A veteran journalist revisiting Thiruvananthapuram found the iconic Satyagraha Gate outside the old Secretariat still bustling with protesters. On her recent visit, she met activist Mercy Alexander, a woman in her 60s from the fishing community now battling for women's rights, who had gone to jail over a sexual harassment case against a minister. ASHA workers were on strike on the pavement, demanding increased wages and backpay, with the protest continuing day and night. The journalist recalled the gate's history as a site for hundreds of protesters over decades, from fisherfolk and teachers to headload workers and political dissidents. Successful past agitations include the 1980s campaign to cancel a hydroelectric project in Silent Valley to save the lion-tailed macaque, and a ban on trawler fishing to protect traditional fishermen. More recently, activists have protested the privatisation of the Vizhinjam port. The journalist noted that while trade unions have faded with privatisation and the Gulf and tourism booms, the culture of satyagraha endures. The ASHA workers' strike, supported by politicians, remains orderly, with police on friendly terms with the dissenters. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Kerala's tradition of satyagraha is rooted in its unique political history, including the world's first democratically elected communist government in 1957. The Silent Valley protest succeeded because all parties united, and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi intervened. Today's ASHA workers' strike involves low-paid female health workers, a group with growing political clout. The state's fiscal stress, with a revenue deficit of over Rs 17,000 crore, limits room for wage hikes. Watch whether the Kerala government moves to meet their demands in the coming weeks. ## Coverage - thenewsminute.com First-person narrative reporting observed events without taking sides, though framed as personal reflection. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: ASHA workers, Mercy Alexander, Satyagraha Gate, Thiruvananthapuram Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/keralas-satyagraha-gate-still-alive-with-dissent-says-veteran-journalist/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/keralas-satyagraha-gate-still-alive-with-dissent-says-veteran-journalist/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/