Sabarimala row: 'women's wall' to greet Kerala new year

A 'Women's Wall' would be formed on January 1 from the northern district of Kasargode to the southernmost district of Thiruvananthapuram to demonstrate the secular and progressive mindset of the state, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Saturday.

"No one can push back the progressive society of Kerala into the dark ages," he said after a meeting with over 50 socio-cultural organisations here. The meet with prominent caste-based and social organisations, including the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam and others was an attempt by the state government to garner support following the recent protests by right-wing organisations across Kerala over entry of women of all ages in the Sabarimala shrine post the Supreme Court verdict.

"As part of the combined efforts of all these organisations which took part in the meeting, a women's wall will be formed on January 1 from the northern district of Kasargode till Thiruvananthapuram, to show the country the secular and progressive mindset of the state," 'Vijayan told reporters after the meeting.

He also sought support of 'progressively-thinking" minds of the state to come out and pledge support to the cause in order to safeguard the "secular" fabric of Kerala. The Nair Service Society (NSS), another prominent caste-based organisation in the state, did not take part in the meeting. Asked about the NSS boycott, the Chief Minister said such organisations, which had played a major role in the social reformation in Kerala, should have attended the meeting.