Lakhs of women to form 620 km long 'women's wall' in Kerala today

Thiruvananthapuram: Lakhs of women from across Kerala are expected to form a 620 km state-sponsored ‘Women’s Wall today to uphold gender equality and renaissance values, in the backdrop of frenzied protests in Sabarimala after the ruling LDF decided to implement the Supreme Court verdict, allowing all women to pray at the Ayyappa shrine.

The women will form the wall from Kasargod in northern Kerala to the southernmost district of Thiruvananthapuram.

Health minister K K Shylaja will lead the chain at Kasargod and CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat will be the last person at the end of the chain in Thiruvananthapuram.

The participants will gather at the designated centers today at 3 PM, where a rehearsal will be held. The Wall will be formed between 4 and 4.15 PM, with participants taking a pledge to uphold gender equality and renaissance values.

The proposed wall was suggested at a meeting called by the Kerala government in the backdrop of frenzied protests by right-wing parties and a section of devotees over the state’s decision to implement the September 28 top court order, allowing women of all ages to Sabarimala.

“Finding a solution to the issues faced by women is seen as part of the class struggle,” Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Monday, adding that ensuring gender equality was part of class struggle.

In Marxist ideology, class struggle is the conflict of interests between workers and the ruling class in a capitalist society.

“The protests by communal forces against women’s entry in Sabarimala prompted the government and other progressive organisations to build Women’s Wall in the state,” Mr Vijayan had said, adding that all women, cutting across castes and religions, would join the wall “to save Kerala from the being dragged back into the era of darkness.”

The Universal Records Forum, the team which records amazing feats across the globe, is also in the state.

The pledge for the wall, released by the Chief Ministers office on Sunday, calls for upholding gender equality and renaissance values. It also bats for secularism and to oppose the move to turn the state into a ‘lunatic asylum.’

While senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala has described the initiative as a ‘wall of contradiction’, UDF lawmaker M K Muneer had has termed it as a ‘communal’ wall for inviting participation only from ‘progressive Hindu organisations’.

The event is organised by the ruling CPI(M), along with over 176 other socio-political organisations, including the CPI, Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP) and Kerala Pulayar Maha Sabha (KPMS).

The Nair Service Society (NSS), a prominent caste-based organization, RSS and the right-wing groups have opposed this move.

The Kudambashree Mission had earlier informed that it alone will field over 1.25 lakh women on January 1.