Thiruvanathapuram, Jan 1: Lakhs of women across Kerala lined up from one end of the state to the other to form a women’s wall on Tuesday to uphold gender equality and renaissance values. They also took a pledge not to push the state back into an era of darkness again.
Though the women’s wall was organised against the backdrop of growing protests in Sabarimala hill temple after the ruling Left Front government decided to implement the Supreme Court order allowing women of all ages to worship at the temple, it did not find any mention in the pledge.
Though over two dozen women tried to trek to the temple after the order, their attempts were foiled by angry devotees.
State health minister K K Shailaja led the wall at Kasargode (north Kerala) and CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat was the last person at the end of the wall in Thiruvananthapuram.
The wall is said to be 620 km from one end of the state to the other and had reportedly the participation of around three million women.
“It is a historic day for the women of the state. Some forces are out to push the state again to the dark era but women won’t allow this,” said Brinda Karat while addressing a public meeting after the wall was formed.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan had earlier said the event, held along the national highway, will be a show of strength against the regressive section of the state that took to the street, protesting the government decision to implement the Supreme Court verdict.
He also lashed out at the Nair Service Society, a body of upper caste Nairs, for its stand on the “women’s wall”, saying, “Those who participated in the ‘Ayyappa Jyothi’ (lighting of traditional lamp) must self-introspect whether it is right for an organisation, which was part of the renaissance movement in Kerala, to join hands with the RSS. This shows their double standards.”
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