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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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
