Activist Bindhu Ammini, who was one of the first women between the ages of 10 to 50 to enter the Sabarimala temple, was attacked by a man in Kozhikode on Wednesday, January 5. Videos and images of the brutal attack have come to light. In the visuals, a man in a shirt and mundu/veshti is seen grabbing her and beating her. He is seen trying to choke her and pushing her head to the ground while she tries to defend herself. At one point while he is attacking her, his veshti falls off, leaving him exposed, as he continues to push her down. A few others can be seen watching the attack.
“I am not safe here anymore, the only option is to leave the country and seek asylum,” an aggrieved Bindhu Ammini said on Thursday. The police have identified the attacker to be a man named Mohandas. This isn’t the first time Bindhu has been subjected to such savage attacks. Last December, she was hit by an autorickshaw and sustained head injuries. She filed a complaint at the time with Koyilandy police and alleged that the attack was planned due to her Sabarimala campaign. Bindhu, along with Kanaka Durga made history by climbing the shrine on January 2, 2019. This took place after the Supreme Court in its judgment in September 2018 allowed the entry of young women into the temple.
“It was after I climbed Sabarimala that I was subjected to all these attacks. It’s not that yesterday’s incident was a conspired one. Because the message passed on to all, minor and major, right wing groups is to attack me whenever and wherever they see me. The benefit they get from attacking me is that they would get reward and respect,” Bindhu Ammini told News 18.
On Wednesday, Mohandas had attacked Bindhu in Kozhikode. In videos and images that started doing the rounds, he was seen hitting her and choking her. Bindhu Ammini, was one of the first women between the ages of 10 to 50 to enter the Sabarimala temple after the Supreme Court in its judgment in September 2018 allowed the entry of young women into the temple.
Higher Education Minister R Bindu condemned the attack on the activist and promised strict action. “The reason for this assault is not because of a conflict of opinion but comes out of a fascist ideology to destroy what they don’t like. Those who had been generous to these kinds of people by encouraging intolerance are equally responsible for this assault. The government will show no apathy in taking action against this person who thinks that he can do this to a woman. There will be strict action,” the minister wrote on social media.
Opposition MLA KK Rema also took to social media, to strongly condemn the repeated attacks against Bindhu and alleged that the government is responsible for this. “She has gone through assault and pain that no woman should ever have to. Why couldn’t the government and police provide her with protection even after repeated assaults? If something happens to her the government is responsible,” the Vadakara MLA said.
The man who assaulted activist Bindhu Ammini in public , has been arrested. On Thursday, the Vellayil police in Kozhikode district said that the accused is a man named Mohandas and he is from Thodiyil in Kozhikode. The police said that further investigations are on.