THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Renaissance seems to have become the Left Government’s catchword for the past couple of weeks. Post the Supreme Court verdict on Sabarimala, the Pinarayi Vijayan Government has been putting on the progressive mantle. Women’s Wall movement was conceptualised to enhance that image further.
But while gearing up for the Wall on January 1, the government has run into several ideological hitches and at least some Left-leaning thinkers and activists appear to be gradually drifting away.
While writer and social commentator Sara Joseph and actor Manju Warrier backed out, Dalit activist Sunny M Kapikkad has accused the government of dilly-dallying in implementing the SC verdict.
The biggest setback arguably is the decision by Sunny M Kapikkad, who has been at the forefront of supporting the government in its progressive thinking, to withdraw moral support to it.
“The Chief Minister should keep his word. If he can’t, let him make it clear. We’ve offered full support to him when he declared the SC verdict would be implemented. But no move has been made even after two-and-a-half months. At present, even when the Sangh Parivar seems to have gone quiet a bit, the government seems uninterested,” said Kapikkad, who criticised the manner in which transgenders were barred from visiting the hill shrine on Sunday.
Sara Joseph and Manju Warrier have withdrawn citing political reasons. Sara Joseph was the first to back out citing P K Sasi issue while Manju Warrier, who has been part of the state government’s many initiatives, followed suit, saying the wall seems to have taken on a political hue.
Sara Joseph feels at a time when anti-democratic, anti-women forces are up in arms against Constitutional values, there is an urgent need for resistance. In fact, despite differences over an array of issues at various levels, a space like the women’s wall is the need of the hour. But when there is no move to meet even the basic criteria in gender justice, joining hands with the movement becomes difficult.
In the Sasi issue, going by the CPM’s internal probe report, it is evident the victim has not been given justice. Sara Joseph observes standing with the wall amounts to justifying this decision. CPI leader Binoy Viswam opined that Sara Joseph and Manju Warrier should reconsider their decision.