Thiruvananthapuram: Govt must end vigilantism, says professor Dr Jayasree

Thiruvananthapuram: It high time all democratic-minded people rallied to resist the isolation and targeting of women who have shown the gumption to trek the hills for the Ayyappa darshan, says Dr Jayasree, social commentator, and professor of community medicine at the Government Medical College, Pariyaram.

Referring to the vigilante tyranny unleashed by the right-wingers on the few women who went to Sabarimala, Dr Jayasree said allowing such forces to have a free run would lead to the end of the freedom and security the people enjoy on one pretext or the other.

“Sabaimala is not an important place as far as I am concerned. It is one among thousands of temples but the fact is that temples and other places of worships are a lifeline for the suppressed sections of society,” she said.

“Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless and soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people”, said Karl Marx. But we cannot ignore the fact that the modern world opens up new vistas of equality and democracy. The Constitution amply reinforces these concepts and Kerala assimilated this through Renaissance.

“The sense of justice that manifested in our relentless struggles against caste, religion and gender elevated us to a new social order. Religion, caste and gender are still subservient to this social order. We have an economic order that subsumes traditional values in marriage and family lives. As a result of which, women remain suppressed as they still are moored in old values. The women have no other go but to accept this for the sake of their existence.

“This could be the reason why one section of women could be exploited for narrow political interests. Often women survive their iniquities and insults through faith and customs. The right-wingers are shamelessly exploiting this predicament and self-respect through undemocratic means.

“But all women in a democratic society are not drunk with opium as are women of faith. There are women aplenty who have both faith and self respect. They are educated and employed, exercise their franchise and travel and are accomplished in various ways. The Constitution guarantees equal rights for those all sections.”