Three million join “women’s wall” in Kerala to uphold gender equality

Hundreds of thousands of women lined up from one end of Kerala to the other to form a women’s wall on January 1 to uphold gender equality and renaissance values.

Jan 11, 2019

THIRUVANATHAPURAM, India: Hundreds of thousands of women lined up from one end of Kerala to the other to form a women’s wall on January 1 to uphold gender equality and renaissance values.

They also took a pledge not to push the state back into an era of darkness again.

The “Vanitha Mathil” wall was organised amid 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. However, the issue did not find any mention in the pledge.

Organisers said more than three million women participated in the wall and it will be recorded in the Guinness book of world records.

Although 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 state capital.

“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.

Many women artists and well known writers also participated in the programme. Activist Swami Agnivesh expressed solidarity with the women at the state capital. The decision to organise a wall was taken in a meeting of various Hindu organisations convened by the state government last month.

Though the government said it was a move aimed at protecting renaissance values and uphold gender equality, the opposition Congress and BJP dubbed it as a “communal wall”. -- Matters India