Samikhsya Bureau
On the first day of the New Year, lakhs of women in Kerala formed a 620-km “women wall” from the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod, a district in the northern part of the state, with a pledge to protect and continue the tradition of renaissance in the state.
The “wall” comprising women from all sections of life crisscrossed the entire state as they assembled by the side of the national highways across all the 14 districts of the state. They stood by the road for around an hour in the afternoon. Unconfirmed reports said over 50 lakh women participated in the event.
The unprecedented women wall created by women organisations of the state comes on the backdrop of the Supreme Court verdict on women’s entry into the Sabarimala Temple and the right wing organisations’ opposition to its implementation. More importantly, it is also seen as a fitting response to an event held few days back where thousands of Ayyappa devotees lit ‘Ayyappa Jyothi’ and vowed to protect the tradition of Sabarimala Temple not to allow women inside.
The women hailed from all walks of life – there were teachers, politicians, writers, homemakers, sportspersons, government officials and actors. They were backed by many progressive Hindu organisations that have supported the Supreme Court order allowing women into the shrine. Thousands of men also joined the protest creating a parallel “men wall” to express solidarity with the women.
The Kerala government was the sponsor of the initiative meant to upheld secular values and gender equality. But the spontaneous support it got from the women in the state was phenomenal. It is viewed as a turning point in the feminist politics of the state.
According to the traditions of the Sabarimala, women between the age of 10 and 50 are barred from entering the temple where Lord Ayyappa is worshipped. But in a landmark judgement on September 28 last year, the Supreme Court allowed entry of women of all ages in the shrine situated at a hilltop. But when the temple opened its door a month later, no woman could enter it due to violent protest.
Undaunted by the protest, two women, journalist Kavitha Jagdal and social activist Rehana Fathima, managed to reach the temple’s main premises with the protection of over 100 policemen, but they had to return following a stand-off with a mob.
Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah went to Kerala to show solidarity with the Ayyappa devotees who defied the Supreme Court order by resisting women’s entry. The women wall has conveyed to him that he put the bet on the wrong horse.
