School teacher, who attempted to climb Sabarimala, alleges being verbally abused by RSS-BJP workers during poll duty

Bindu Thankam Kalyani. (Express Photo) 

Bindu Thankam Kalyani, a school-teacher and a prominent gender rights activist, has faced the ire of right-wing activists several times since she attempted to climb the hill at Sabarimala and offer prayers at the temple there in October last year. On Tuesday, she alleged that once again she was showered with verbal abuse by a set of RSS-BJP workers when she was on election duty in Pattambi.

In a note shared with indianexpress.com, Bindu said she had come to the Sanskrit College in Pattambi on Tuesday as a ‘reserve official’ of the Election Commission. The college served as a venue where all election materials for the two Assembly segments of Pattambi and Thrithala were handed out and later received from officers. While on poll duty in the campus, she was recognised by a few women belonging to Kudumbashree, the self-help group in Kerala. She said the women spoke warmly and affectionately with her. At the same time, she said, a few RSS-BJP workers who had come to the booth to register their vote identified her as the woman who attempted to climb Sabarimala and failed.

“As I walked out of the campus in the evening, I noticed them having assembled outside the booth. One of them asked me if I was the one who went to Sabarimala. When I responded saying that I had returned half-way before climbing to the top, the verbal abuse began. “Couldn’t you just go and die?” one of them shouted. Feeling that I could be attacked, I walked back to the campus and filed a complaint at the office of the ARO,” she wrote.

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“Their idea of attacking an officer appointed by the Election Commission is a challenge to the democracy, secular values and the constitution of India,” she said.

Her complaint will be routed through the ARO to the district collector as well as the Election Commission. She said she was confident that the faces of her abusers have been caught on the CCTV cameras installed in the area.