Women of Kerala create history
Women of Kerala have created history again. Having asserted their identity and right to cover their breasts about a century ago, the women of Kerala have again made a mark for themselves by having entered the sanctum sanctorum of Ayyappa Swami temple. With this, they have also upheld the dignity and honour of Supreme Court verdict, along with constitutional values with their act. The leftist government of Kerala had vowed to ensure the verdict of the Supreme Court would be held up, under all circumstances, has held up the word. About 50lakh women had formed a women’s wall along the length of the state, starting from Kasargod to Thiruvananthapuram.
Even as this news was fresh on people’s minds, two women Bindu and Kanakadurga entered the temple of Ayyappa Swamy in Sabarimala, breaking the barrier that stopped them from entering the temple since ages. This barrier was put up by the narrow minded traditionalists for their own benefit. The restriction to women between ages of 10 and 50 is not something that was laid down by the god, but by people. This is an irrational, unscientific and evil belief created and circulated by patriarchal society. This has no space in modern society.
Supreme Court had ruled recently that women have to be given equal opportunity to enter the temple just as men. This has to be implemented by any elected government. Hence, the Pinarayi government that has strong left roots had voiced its commitment to ensure the verdict would be implemented. The Sangh Parivar and BJP were waiting for a change to set foot into Kerala and this ruling came as a big chance to make that happen. Hence they started some violent protests in the name of dissidence.This violence, stone pelting and other ruckus scared the devotees and the number of believers visiting the temple came down. This showed on the income of the temple too. Even then, BJP didn’t reduce its Goondagiri. National President of BJP Amit Shah who should have told his state unit members to not engage in violence, came down to the state and encouraged them to get into more damaging behavior. The person sitting in the chair of PM never parted his lips to even speak against this violence. Now, all of a sudden, he has woken up from the slumber and has spoken about the issues surrounding this verdict.
The tradition of the temple is that women between ages of 10 and 50 shouldn’t enter the temple. Every temple would have its tradition and people believe it should be followed. Nothing is more humiliating than this. What can one expect from people who wanted to bury the constitution and bring in Manu Smriti as a quasi-constitution? Such people need to remember something. Kerala has its own share of wonderful social reforms. Protests had happened owing to entry into the temples such as Vaikum and Guruvayur movements as well. This is a land of rational thinkers such as Narayana Guru, Ayyan Kali, Chattambi Swami, Kelappan and AKG among the others. This is the land where they walked. On a ground like this, there is no space for regressive RSS and other Sangh elements that propose and follow Manu. This has been made clear in Kerala again. People have upheld the constitution and rejected blind practices,
BJP has no other issues to go close to people except for those such as Baba Budan Giri and Sabarimala, to create a base for itself down South. Their government has to face people’s ire over badly managed demonetization, GST implementation and inflation. BJP has not fulfilled any promise they made to the people of this country. Which is why the party had to taste defeat in the election of five states. Opportunist Congress has also joined hands with communal forces in Kerala since there is no tandem between the national president of this party and its state chief. Cong feels hindus will vote for them if they join hands with the BJP on this.
The upper caste vested interests who cannot tolerate an Ezava (lower caste) man Pinarayi Vijayan being the CM of the state, have joined hands with the Sangh on this. A cartoon depicting a man preparing arrack with a tagline of “this is what happens if arrack brewers become the CM” has already stirred huge controversy. Those who want to keep women away from the temples in the name of tradition, will also want lower castes to stay away from temples in the name of same tradition. The Hindu rashtra that they want to build, has same dangerous elements. A big congrats to the leftist government, and progressive women who offered a major setback to the traditionalists and restricted minds who had threatened to take Kerala to dark ages. The state proved itself literate through this step.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
