Misleading Reports Link Women Who Entered Sabarimala to CPI(ML)

Reports linking the women who entered Sabarimala temple to CPI(ML) are doing the rounds.

On Wednesday, 2 January, two women – Bindu (42) from Koilandy and Kanakadurga (44) from Angadipuram in Malappuram district – had entered the sanctum sanctorum of the Sabarimala temple, triggering reactions across the political spectrum.

However, some misleading – if not false – claims also took shape in course of the development.

CLAIM

Soon after Bindu and Kanakadurga entered the shrine, reports suggested the women had links with far-left political outfit CPI(ML). NDTV said that Bindu is a ‘CPI(ML) activist’, quoting PTI.

At least two other portals – OpIndia and SatyaVijayi – also reported the same, quoting NDTV.

TRUE OR FALSE

Going by the versions of one of the women and the CPI(ML), The Quint can establish that it is unwarranted to link them to any particular outfit.

WHAT WE FOUND OUT

The articles put up by OpIndia and Satyavijayi attempt to give a spin to their stories by mentioning the women’s political affiliation in their headline.

Further, SatyaVijayi in its report calls Bindu, “a lecturer at a college and also an activist of CPI-ML(Naxalite).” Here, the portal misquotes NDTV which has linked Bindu to CPI(ML). In fact, no outfit by the name ‘CPI-ML (Naxalite)‘ exists in the first place.

The SatyaVijayi and OpIndia articles had 108 and 6 shares on Facebook respectively, till this article was written.

The Women & CPI(ML) Deny Link

Speaking to The Quint, Kanakadurga, one of the women, clearly denied any political affiliation. “I don’t have any political background. Since the day the Supreme Court lifted the ban on women’s entry at Sabarimala, I have wanted to go to the temple...in fact, even before,” she said.

Meanwhile, speaking to The Quint, KN Ramachandran, General Secretary, CPI (ML) Red Star, confirmed that Bindu Ammini was no longer associated with the party. He said:

“She was a member a decade back. She was a student activist first, then she became a Kerala state committee member. However, she wanted to concentrate on her studies, so she became inactive in politics, and is now not a member of the party. She has a progressive outlook, and participates in progressive movements. But she is no longer actively involved with the party”.

The political leaning of the women should not be a talking point in this case as the Supreme Court order on allowing women of menstruating age inside the shrine, makes no such discrimination. The Kerala government, too, has consistently maintained this stance, saying that it is the government’s duty to provide protection to any woman who wishes to enter Sabarimala temple.

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