Kochi: The two-day Arppo Arthavam campaign being organised at Marine Drive in Kochi to debunk the orthodox notion of menstrual impurity was touted as the second high point in the counter agitation for Sabarimala women's entry after the 'Women's Wall' on January 1. However, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who was supposed to address a massive rally on the final day on Sunday and raise the campaign against orthodoxy to a higher pitch, did not turn up.

Official sources said that there were intelligence reports that certain sections were planning mischief at the event. There were also concerns that the crowd could have been infiltrated by certain elements to politically embarrass the chief minister. Sources in the Chief Minister's Office, however, refused to elaborate. The chief minister but has directed social justice minister K K Shylaja to attend the event.

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When Onmanorama contacted Arppo Arthavam organisers after 12 noon when the chief minister was supposed to address the rally, they were still hopeful that the chief minister would arrive. "We have not been informed by anyone that the chief minister will not come," one of the organisers said.

The first day of the rally (Saturday, January 12) witnessed a massive turnout. Tamil filmmaker Pa Ranjith was the star of the day. A rally was taken out from the High Court junction to the Marine Drive on the day. Cultural activists and transgenders were part of the rally.

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Arppo Arthavam campaign, which originated as a virtual protest against primitive attitudes towards menstruation, gradually got the tacit support of the CPM. Women shared intimate, at times searing, menstrual experiences on Facebook. Hashtag Arppo Arthavam turned out to be one of the top trending hashtags on Facebook.

When the Sangh Parivar forces stepped up their campaign against women's entry, the CPM prodded the Facebook group to adopt more open forms of protest. The idea was to strengthen the liberal voice. A programme irreverently titled 'Let menstrual untouchability be damned' was organised in late November in Kochi.

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