The proceedings of the Kerala Assembly on Thursday were disrupted following a protest by MLAs belonging to the ruling LDF. The MLAs were provoked over Deputy Leader of Opposition MK Muneer of the Indian Union Muslim League, calling the Women's Wall, a human chain of women that will be formed on January 1, a communal wall. The idea behind the women’s wall is to promote the Kerala government’s stand on the Sabarimala issue.
Muneer said that if Berlin Wall had collapsed this communal wall would also collapse. The mention of communal wall in Muneer's speech during the zero hour provoked the MLAs of the ruling front.
They unanimously demanded to withdraw the communal wall mentioning. This led to a serious verbal fight between the MLAs of the treasury and opposition benches. It was Minister AK Balan who first raised objection when Muneer moved the adjournment motion. He said that it can’t be allowed as ‘communal wall’ was mentioned. Balan said that alleging communal element to the Women's Wall is anti-constitutional.
Speaker P Sreeramakrishan also said that such allegations shouldn’t be made without having the backing of facts. The proceedings had to be stopped temporarily when the MLAs strongly objected. Rarely do Assembly proceedings stops due to opposition from MLAs of the ruling party. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the women’s wall is a wall of honour that would protect the progress and equality of women, declaring that the state would move on the path of progress.
"There was a time when there was not much differences in the living conditions of women of the higher class and the women who were suppressed. The government is committed to protect renaissance values at any cost. What is wrong in the government taking initiative in protecting the renaissance values,” he said. The Chief Minister made an elaborate speech on the wall.
Pinarayi sarcastically said that it is expected that women from the opposition parties heading organisations would take part in the wall, though there are no women MLAs in the opposition.
The Speaker eventually allowed Muneer to present the motion.
The decision to form the Women's Wall, a human chain to be formed from Kasargode to Thiruvananthapuram was born following the protests on allowing women’s entry into Sabarimala after the Supreme Court verdict.
Thursday was the last day of the ongoing session of the Assembly. The opposition had disrupted the proceedings four days consecutively over Sabarimala, demanding that the prohibitory orders be lifted in and around the area. Three opposition MLAs have been fasting at the Assembly for the same.