Beaten but not broken: woman journalist weeping at temple protest goes viral

A photojournalist in Kerala shot to prominence after a photograph of her shooting a protest march against the entry of two women into the Sabarimala temple went viral on social media.

Shajila Abdulrahman, a cameraperson at Kairali Television, was assigned to cover one of several marches when she was assaulted by protestors in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala. 

But Shajila remained undeterred and continued to shoot the march while barely being able to hold back her tears as the viral photo depicts.

“I didn’t know where that kick came from. It caught me unawares and hurt my back. As I was writhing in pain, the attackers tried to snatch the camera, but I used all my strength to keep hold of it. I injured my neck in the melee,” she told Scroll, an Indian news website.  

 

Shajila, who was one of several members of the media to come under attack during the protests in Thiruvananthapuram, said she was happy to continue doing her job despite the turmoil.

“They had threatened to kill me,” she said. “I ignored their threat. But I was shocked when I got that unexpected kick on my back. It was the worst experience in my professional career.”

When the protests finally ended after two hours, Shajila returned to her office to hand over the footage she shot before going to see a doctor.

“For me, it is duty first,” she said. “But I will never forget yesterday’s attack. Politicians should ensure the safety of media persons on the ground,” added Shajila.

 

India’s Supreme Court in September ordered the lifting of the ban on women of menstruating age entering the Sabarimala hill temple, which draws millions of worshippers every year.

The temple has refused to abide by the ruling and subsequent attempts by women to visit there have been blocked by thousands of protesters.

In early Wednesday, two women were escorted by police into the temple through a side gate without being spotted by devotees guarding the temple.

This sparked a series of violent protests across Kerala which forced the state to a standstill on Thursday.