Thrissur (Kerala): Being a purveyor of change is a path not trodden by many, and is often something that clashes against prevalent social mandates. NA Vinaya, from Kerala's Thrissur, however, is clearly not one to let things pass and has been waging a war for the last two decades to improve conditions of, and bring equality for, women in various areas of the state.
Having started her career as a constable in Kerala Police, the first among Vinaya's battles was initiated after she discovered that application forms and FIRs both required the names of either a woman's father or her husband depending on her status.
''If the details have to be written anywhere, the father's name is given as the 'guardian', and the husband's name is given in case the girl is married. The mother's name is mentioned when both of them are not there. Isn't this gender discrimination?'' she questions.
A case filed by her back in 1999 took up the issue. In court, Vinaya represented herself and argued that the prevalent system violated Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution as the omission of mothers' names amounted to discrimination on the basis of sex.
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In 2001, the bench of Justices BN Srikrishna and N Ramachandran considered her concern valid and ordered necessary changes. Recently, the Administrative Reforms Committee issued a circular, informing that since the court order, renewed forms had been issued.
The change that kickstarted then appears to have signaled a slew of other reforms later on, as current forms seek the name of the partner instead of the 'husband', and provide the candidate an option to choose either their father's or mother's name as the guardian.
"I am glad that change has taken place. When I filed the petition, people said I was crazy. They joked that the application would go straight to the trash. I appreciate the High Court clerk who helped in preparing the petition. The feeling of being supported by someone increased my confidence" Vinaya recalled.
Up next, outdoors. Vinaya says she had noted during her time in the police that female personnel were not allowed to partake in sports competitions. This pushed her to bring women from domestic spaces to the fields.
To materialize this vision, in 2014 WINGS (Women’s Integration and Growth Through Sports) was born. Vinaya, at the time posted in Thrissur Kerala Police Academy as the Assistant Sub Inspector, sought to integrate women from mostly rural households into volleyball.
She noted that whenever the group tried converting an empty plot or a similar piece of land into a court, locals raised objections, including observing that the group had women of respected families who should be indoors. The organization took flight, nonetheless, and in 2016 held its first state-level volleyball tournament.
The same year, three members including Vinaya participated in the largely male-dominated 'Pullikali' dance ritual, which takes place during Onam, and decimated opposition. The festival which sees men paint their bodies akin to that of a tiger and dance to the rhythm of drums saw Vinaya and her teammates follow suit and dance alongside their male counterparts for more than five hours.
