An impressive turnout from all communities for the women’s wall across the State on Tuesday seemed to lend credence to the government and the Left Democratic Front’s claim that the assemblage would be largely secular in nature, while conveying the understated but strong political message against the Sangh Parivar and its allies.
What was initially conceived as a women’s initiative of Hindu community organisations saw a remarkable participation of the Christian and Muslim communities and an active solidarity from the menfolk. It has to a great extent taken the sting out of the United Democratic Front and the BJP bid to cast a communal colour to the campaign.
Though the proposal for forming the wall was tossed up at a conclave of Hindu community organisations such as the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam, legatees of the social reform movement, in the backdrop of the Supreme Court verdict on Sabarimala, the idea evolved in the face of stringent UDF and BJP criticism.
The government clarified in due course that it would have the active involvement of the Christian and Muslim communities that had also made substantial inputs for the social churning in the State.
NSS criticism
The stringent criticism of the Nair Service Society and others were feared to queer the pitch, but a sustained campaign over a month seems to have cleared the air and effectively deflected the flak it drew from various segments. A resolution passed by the NSS against the government and the Chief Minister on Monday do not seem to have made any impact on the campaign.
The wall, as CPI(M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said, would kickstart a national campaign for ensuring 33% women’s reservation in the Assembly and Parliament and a series of programmes to end the alleged discrimination against women in different sectors.
A lead the State traditionally enjoys in various sectors, including 50% women’s reservation in local bodies, needs to be carried forward and the wall would be a start, he had said.
The wall also mounted a strong political statement against the Sangh Parivar and others who had raised a banner of revolt against the government on the Sabarimala issue by uniting the Backward Class organisations.
This movement is expected to give a political edge to the government and also the LDF that would have to face a general elections within the next few months.
