JOIN USIn the wake of the unfortunate rape incident that happened in the City, a candlelight vigil was held recently outside the Rotary Club of Friendship, Lavelle Road.
A joint effort between the Rotary Club of Bangalore, Inner Wheel Club of Bangalore, Rotaract Club of Bangalore and Rotaract Club of Bangalore Seshadripuram, the event saw the participation of over 200 people.
It started with a meeting during which Madhav Chavan of the Pratham movement addressed the gathering.
Post this, the members of the clubs took part in the candlelight vigil with the primary view of teaching self-defence to the girl child. “With the kind of draconian things that have been taking place, I was motivated to organise an event like this. We wanted to tell the world that we are serious,” said Ranga Rao, Vice President, Rotary Club of Bangalore.
“Being part of an organisation like Rotary that is known for its service, we decided that we should have self-defence lessons for all children especially girls,” he added.
So with the help of self-defence trainers, many of whom are Rotarians themselves, the Rotary Club of Bangalore plans to gradually start this session in the 17 schools that are under it.
“We will be teaching self-defence mechanisms to the children between 10 and 15 years of age while for those below six, we plan to give some soft skills training. For instance, they should be able to differentiate between a good touch and a bad one. It will be done with sensitivity and we plan to have at least once class a week,” he informed.
Said Elizabeth C Paramesh, an administrator and counsellor at Lakeside Medical Center and Hospital who was present at the event, “There is an urgent need to secure the moral fabric of society. Children need to be taught to respect their peers at a very early age. Topics of sex education need to focus on respecting a partner. There is a need to change the mindset of people and respect for the girl child must begin at home.”
She added, “Parents and teachers ought to give guided freedom to children. Most of all, parents and teachers need to set an example for the youth. The family concept needs to be emphasised and relationships at home need to be more personal and interactive. Being there for children and youth will make a great difference.”
The vigil had people from various walks of life and Rotary and Rotaract Clubs attending it in large numbers.
A number of youngsters were quite vocal about their views on the issue as they stood with candles and placards. Adeshwar Mehta, District Rotaract Representative, was pleased with the turnout.
“In no way can we stand quietly when atrocities are happening. Although we cannot undo what has happened, we should not keep quiet even if we see a small indication of a wrong activity. We should not hesitate to ask what’s happening,” he said.DHNS