On Tuesday, millions of Indian women joined hand-in-hand along the 620 km long stretch from the northern tip to the southern end of Kerala, to form a ‘women’s wall’ against the religious conservatives who have been opposing the Supreme Court verdict that allowed the entry of menstruating women in the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala. Such a mass movement by Indian feminists against religious traditions is almost unprecedented in the history of independent India.

Though the human chain, comprising of women of all castes, classes and religion, was sponsored by CPI(M) led LDF government in Kerala to implement the SC verdict, yet the sheer numbers represent how widespread the awareness about and how strong the aspiration for gender equality is in the state.

All political parties and conservative organizations will do well to recognize that society in India has changed and gender and sexual minorities cannot be held hostage in the name of tradition. The Supreme Court verdict, as of today, is the law of the land and must be respected. The Pinarayi Vijayan government must be allowed to implement it without threats of violence and disruption of law and order of the state.