Kochi: Renowned photographer Nick Ut has expressed his support to the women’s wall in Kochi. Nick Ut while visiting the Kochi-Muziris Biennale said to media that he became aware of the women’s wall while he was in Kochi, and he too supports the women's wall. 

Kerala chief minister, Pinarayi Vijayan's government, initiated a move to form a 'women's wall' on January 1, starting from Kasaragod all the way to Thiruvananthapuram. 

Also read: Kerala Police register cases against 1,400 people for attending Ayyappa Jyothi

Women's wall is a programme initiated by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) to seek support on the initiatives undertaken by the government. TM Thomas Isaac, the finance minister, sought people’s help to build the 600-km long human wall. Vijayan sent out invitations to over 150 social groups.  The women's wall primarily seeks support on issues such as entry of women into the Sabarimala temple. 

“Women’s wall will be exclusively and completely for women. Nobody needs to have any doubt about this issue,” Vijayan posted on his Facebook page on December 22.

Actress such as Suhasini, Parvathy Thiruvoth, Rima Kallingal, Muthumani, Geethu Mohandas, Ramya Nambeeshan, Sajitha Madathil and film artistes such as Beena Paul, Bhagya Lakshmi, Vidhu Vincent and Deedi Damodaran expressed their support to the Women's wall.

About 220 prominent women personalities in Kerala also issued a joint statement expressing their support to the women's wall. They include the LDF leader CK Janu, K Ajitha, P Vatsala, Ashitha, Savithri, Rajeevan, Khadeeja Mumtaz, Nilambur Ayisha, Meena T Pillai, Zeenath, Rajashree Warrier, Sheethal Shyam, Dhanya Raman, VP Suhara and Viji Penkoottu.

According to reports, around 50 lakh women are likely to take part in the women’s wall which will be ‘built’ from Kasaragod to Vellayambalam in Thiruvananthapuram on the western side of the 620 km national highway.

Minister KK Shailaja will be part of the women’s wall in Kasaragod. The chief minister and two other ministers will take part in a meeting in Vellayambalam. Many other ministers have been given the responsibility to form the wall in different districts.

Earlier, Actress Manju Warrier had posted a video on the Facebook page of the women's wall expressing her support. In the video, she said that renaissance values should be protected, and that man-woman equality is necessary. She urged Kerala to move forward stating that she was all for the women's wall.

Later, she withdrew her support through another Facebook post. In the post, she said that she was unaware of the political colour of the programme that was initiated.

Meanwhile, on December 26, lakhs of people took part in the Ayyappa Jyothi organised by the Kerala BJP and Sabarimala Karma Samithi.

Ayyappa Jyothi was organised to demand that the traditions and customs of Sabarimala be preserved. Women, men and even children lined up along the 765-km stretch between Kasaragod and Thiruvananthapuram to attend the Ayyappa Jyothi.

They lined up on either side of the road, lit lamps and passed the flame along, in order to depict a travelling light. They formed a human chain along the national highway from Manjeswaram (Kasaragod district) to Parassala (Thiruvananthapuram district).