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December 16, 2012, New Delhi. It is almost two years since the gruesome incident took place but the ominous day is difficult to forget. A 23-year-old paramedical student was brutally gangraped on a moving bus in the National Capital. The beastly act led to her death 13 days later. The incident provoked unprecedented outrage and protests all over the country. Women acutely felt the need to learn how to defend themselves. The issue of women’s safety across the country came under scanner and a panel was set up to review rape laws. The rapists, in this case, were given exemplary punishment. This, however, has not served as a deterrant. Crime against women has remained unabated. Much in news was the July 2013 incident wherein a 22-year-old photo journalist was raped in the Shakti Mills compound in Mumbai, India’s ‘safest’ city for women.
In August this year, two minor sisters were gangraped by the landlord’s son and his friends at their home in Gurgaon. The statistics remain grim. Rape is the fourth largest crime in India. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), reported in 2013, out of 3,09,546 reported cases of crime against women, 33,707 were rape cases. No wonder, many countries caution women tourists to be careful when travelling alone in India. A study by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative found that between 2001 and 2013, as many as 2,72,844 rape cases were registered in India, making it a daily average of 57 rapes. That is more than two rapes every hour. And mind you, these are only the reported numbers. A number of rapes go unreported because sadly in 94.4 per cent cases, the offender was known to the victim — a colleague, friend, neighbour or a relative. According to the NCRB report, "Crime in India, 2013", the offenders included parents/close family members in 539 cases, neighbours in 10,782 cases, relatives in 2,315 cases and other known persons in 18,171 such reported cases. Enough is enough The rising incidence of crime against women has prompted the fair sex to be prepared. Many states and union territories like Kerala, Delhi, Chandigarh, Maharashtra and Manipur have introduced safety workshops, wherein women are taught basic self-defence moves. The women’s wing of the Delhi Police has been conducting "Swayam initiative". Mriganka Dadwal started the SLAP (Street-Level Awareness Programme) initiative in New Delhi after the ‘Nirbhaya’ incident. According to Mriganka: "It is important to understand that each one of us is vulnerable." Adding support to the cause are celebrities like Olympic boxing medallist Mary Kom, who recently launched a self-defence smartphone app, besides organising safety workshops for women in Manipur. Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra kick-started the SFL campaign ‘Enough is Enough.’ Akshay Kumar introduced free self-defence courses for women in Mumbai while Kareena Kapoor launched ‘VithU’ app with Channel V, wherein with the click of a button, an automated SOS message is sent to four numbers, besides giving them the victim’s location details. Sandeep Hans, Director, Higher Education, Chandigarh, who has been instrumental in introducing self-defence courses in local colleges, believes this alone is not enough. He says, "Though the workshop will help instil in girls a sense of confidence to tackle any untoward situation, it is equally important to sensitise men towards women." Kamla Meena, DSP (Women’s Cell), who has been conducting 15-day safety workshops for quite some time, says, "There has been an increase in the number of women, both working as well as housewives, who want to enrol for these courses. Many corporate houses are also organising workshops for women employees." Age is no bar for those joining these classes. Women see personal safety as a prime need and feel it is their own responsibility to remain safe. According to 17-year-old Keerthana Saraf, who has been taking training in self-defence for the past one year, "Your parents cannot be everywhere to protect you. It is important for girls to be empowered and not feel vulnerable at any time." Expertspeak "A number of girls may be enrolling themselves in self-defence courses but often they leave these courses early after they find the strength-training workouts tough", says Franklin Joseph of the Bangalore-based Badazz Combat Academy, which gives training in Israeli martial art krav maga. However, it is a good sign that women are becoming conscious of their safety, he adds. According to Chandigarh-based self-defence trainer and fitness expert Neeraj Kumar of Movers & Shapers, self-defence requires not only physical training but also conditioning of the mind. He adds that it is essential to remain fit and keep practising these moves as part of one’s daily routine. Training in self-defence helps women become strong emotionally, physically and mentally. This, however, is not the solution to the underlying problem. What is required is gender sensitisation and open communication at all levels, besides a community-based response system. Awareness should be created by organising workshops, besides making use of social media, radio, television and cinema to bring about a change in the society. Only then can we hope that India will be a safe country for women. Till then, learn how to defend yourself. Basic tips to keep you secure It is important to remain cautious and alert at all times. You should be pro-active and prepared for any untoward incident. Adopt a non-victim assertive body-language in such a situation. Here are a few safety tips which self-defence experts suggest: n If you sense someone is stalking/following you, especially when you are in an isolated area, immediately dial 100 and seek help. Your call will be registered and recorded and a PCR will come to your rescue. Avoid taking help from any random person.
n When walking on an isolated road or parking lot, keep a bottle of pepper spray ready in your hand. A pepper spray can immobilise an attacker for 40 minutes. Readily available at chemist and department stores, pepper sprays come in the range of ~300- ~500. When buying a pepper spray, go for at least 55ml bottle, which should be able to cover a range of at least 10 feet. n Always be aware of your surroundings. Avoid wearing ear plugs or headphones when going out for a walk in the park since you may not be able to hear anyone approaching and sense danger. Go with your instincts if you sense something odd. n Many girls get raped under the influence of drugs like date rape drug. Avoid free drinks from strangers. Also don’t leave your drink unattended at a party. As far as possible, go out with a trusted group of friends or family. In any case, let someone close to you know who you are going out with. n Never give in to the demands of the attacker. Don’t think that it will help you to gain time because chances are you may end up in a situation that may be worse than the one you are presently in. And never expect any mercy from the assaulter. n Scream, shout, whistle, yell or create a scene to attract the attention of people around you. The last thing an attacker will want is to draw attention. n Dress appropriately, if going out alone, especially late at night. It is best to keep safe. n When on foot, it is safer to walk opposite to the direction of the incoming traffic. This way you will be aware if someone is stopping the car by your side and you cut down the risk of being pulled into a car. n When travelling alone in a taxi, note down the taxi number and the driver’s details. Call up someone and give them your taxi details and your location. n A number of safety apps and gadgets can come handy. Gadgets like the ‘Defender’ get attached to a mobile and with the push of a button, a powerful pepper spray is released. It also takes a photo of the attacker, switches on a flashing light and sets off a loud alarm. The Kanpur police recently launched a new mobile app SOS, which can check crime by tracing your location from the police control room.
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