Great wall of Kerala: A pledge for liberty, dignity

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A Women’s Wall of 620km length was formed on the western sides of the national highways in the state connecting Kasaragod and Thiruvananthapuram, raising slogans for gender equality in all spheres and for resisting moves by communal forces to make Kerala a mental asylum. The participants concluded the 15-minute formation of the Wall from 4pm to 4.15pm with a slogan that reiterated their commitment to uphold the renaissance values. However, the pledge was silent on women entry to Sabarimala, which laid the foundation for the campaign.


The Women’s Wall, an idea mooted by Kerala Pulaya Maha Sabha (KPMS) and taken over by the state government with the help of over 170 organizations, scripted a new history by the way it had been organized. Despite strong resistance from Congress-led UDF and BJP, the ruling LDF could make the campaign a success with porous portions on the wall being reported from only a few regions. In Kasaragod, the Wall couldn’t be formed in a 700m stretch as BJP workers prevented women from reaching the assigned spots.

The Wall covered 11 districts – except Wayanad, Idukki and Pathanamthitta – and had the participation of women cutting across all barriers. From tiny tots to nonagenarians and from working professionals to daily-wage labourers, a cross section of women in the society actively participated in the Wall. Muslim women wearing purdahs dominated the Wall in several parts at Malappuram while nuns in their traditional robes were seen in some parts of Ernakulam district. Participation of Muslim and Christian women also busted the campaign that the Women’s Wall was a Hindu movement planned by a section of Hindu organizations. According to police, around 20 lakh women were part of the campaign.

Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan along with his cabinet colleagues E P Jayarajan, Thomas Isaac and Kadakampally Surendran had reached Vellayambalam well ahead of the scheduled 4pm to offer his support for the campaign. “This Wall is a warning to all communal and orthodox forces which try to deny women their constitutional rights and pull back Kerala from the renaissance values. Breaking all calculations, women from all walks of life came in scores to be part of the Women’s Wall. This is a moment of pride for Kerala”, Vijayan said.

Meticulous planning contributed to the success of the campaign. SNDP Yogam and KPMS, which have strong cadre base, deployed women in large numbers for the campaign. Participation of a large number of working women underlined the opposition’s allegation that government machinery was used widely for the campaign. Most of the government departments, gave special permission for women staff to skip work on Monday afternoon to join the campaign. In colleges, SFI and AISF took the lead to bring girl students to form the Wall.