Thiruvananthapuram: Lakhs of women cutting across caste, religion and political ideologies scripted history on Tuesday by standing firm along the 620-km national highway stretch from Kasargod to Thiruvananthapuram to form the longest women’s wall in the history of the state.
The wall raised three major slogans — safeguard the values of renaissance movement, uphold gender equality and prevent Kerala from turning into a mental asylum.
The ‘Women’s Wall’ was conceived against the backdrop of frenzied protests witnessed in the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala after the CPM-led LDF government decided to implement the Supreme Court verdict, allowing all women to pray at the Ayyappa shrine.
Barring an attack on the participants allegedly by RSS-BJP workers at Chettukundu in Kasargod, the ‘historic’ event passed off peacefully. The organisers claimed that 55 lakh women, well beyond their expectations, took part in the event. At many places, four to five rows had to be created behind the wall to accommodate the participants.
Chief Minister Pinaryi Vijayan said the wall was a warning to communal and orthodox sections.
He said women from all walks of life defied the negative campaign, lies and false propaganda against the programme to uphold the state’s pride and honour.
While the ‘Women’s Wall’ was formed on the left side of the NH, men and children assembled on the right side to express their solidarity.
Health minister K.K. Shialaja was at the starting point in Kasargod while CPM politburo member Brinda Karat was present at Ayyankali square, Vellyambalam, the last point. Mr Vijayan and prominent women leaders paid floral tributes at the statue of social reformer Ayyankali.
Ms Karat, who inaugurated the public meeting at Vellayambalam, lashed out at the Congress saying, “the Congress speaks the voice of RSS in the morning and that of Muslim League in the evening. A boat which has no anchor has no future,” she said.
The women had come in lakhs to take forward the legacy of great social reforms, she said. “We are small bricks of the big wall. It will have millions and millions of bricks like us and we will take forward our glorious history,”she added.
