Women still banned at Agasthyakoodam

Kozhikode: The controversies that erupted last year over the order restricting women from trekking Agasthyakoodam peak has had little impact with the authorities deciding to stop women this year, too, citing security and religious reasons. In 2016, then minister Thiruvan-choor Radhakrishnan had stated that no ban was there on women, except the period between Makaravilakku and Shivaratri, where the tribal people  (Kanis) of the hill perform pooja. However, the forest and wildlife department said they received no circular from the minister and the same format was given in the notification this year also.

Agasthyakoodam has a celebate deity ‘Mootu Kani’ (Agasthya Muni) and the tribal custom forbids even women from among them from going to the area during the yearly pooja. Sources, however, said women have been visiting the place for academic and scholastic purposes.

Wildlife warden Y.M. Shaji Kumar said that there was no ban on women but the department “usually” do not let women take up trekking. “Usually we prevent women from trekking due to security and health reasons. This is a three-day programme, which is tough for even healthy men. The visitors need to cover 16 km on the first day and halt at the base camp at Athirumala. Women are not given the go-ahead in the eco-tourist package which is operational from the middle of August to December, also.”

Representatives of various women groups said that they are planning a widespread protest against the gender-based discrimination and if it fails to bring out any change, they will file a case in the High Court. The woman groups would hold a press conference in Kozhikode on Tuesday, to launch their protest.

Organisations like Wings, Anweshi and Gargi are part of the movement, said Divya Divakaran, a school teacher. “This is purely a discrimination on the basis of gender. Citing poor health to prevent us from trekking is absurd. There is no compromise this time, we need permission from the government at any cost,” she said.