JOIN USGrowing eve-teasing makes women opt for self-defence classes
A couple of months ago, 27-year-old Durgesh Kumari returning home with friends in Madanpur Khadar’s JJ Colony in Delhi was chased by a miscreant. “I was gossiping with my friends and referred to someone as Laila. Soon the boy following us picked the word and started singing the song Laila O Laila...”
It was not surprising as it is predominantly lower middle class area and it is unsafe for women. But such incidents of eve-teasing and abuse are being reported from different parts of Delhi, including posh colonies and busy roads.
During the recent Delhi Assembly elections, most candidates tried to score points and make their presence felt by focusing on “women safety”. But most women do not feel safe in Delhi. A few days back, a woman tagged along a friend to watch a play. Considering that Mandi House is a much safer area to walk late at night, they proceeded to the Bengali Market after the play, for dinner. While returning to the Metro station at around 10.30 pm, three young men on a two-wheeler crossed their path, making lewd comments. The faith in being secure in central and south Delhi was shaken!
“Nowadays, learning self-defence is a must,” says homemaker Kanika Jain, a 41-year-old DLF Gurgaon resident. Jain’s concern for her teenage daughter’s safety has prompted her to think about enrolling her in self-defence workshops. “I have myself taken self-defence training, because one isn’t safe in any place. One day I went to my health club Vivafit, my gym manager told me about the self-defence workshop that was being planned and I decided to be part of it,” she adds.
This hints at how canny fitness centres have realised the potential of self-defence workshops and are encashing on the opportunity. On the other hand, NGOs working for women’s welfare have also roped in experts to provide different kinds of self-defence training to especially women who belong to economically weaker sections of society and are more vulnerable.
“Once, while getting off a bus, a boy touched my hand and I couldn’t react,” repents 25-year-old Shahin who later participated in the self-defence training workshops organised by Agragami NGO.
One of these workshops was conducted by Martial Vout, a Swiss self-defence expert. Vout says: “What makes a woman strong is the way she asserts herself. The biggest challenge for me has been to make Indian women acknowledge that they can face incidents of attack, even from those who are known to them. So they need to empower themselves.”
Vout came to India first in 2008 “for a six-month holiday”. He says: “I chose this country because I had heard about its warm culture. But when I came here I realised that it wasn’t easy for women living in a patriarchal society.” He then decided to make frequent visits and use his knowledge in self-defence to train the Indian women.
Having attended workshops by him, Shahin feels: “The difference now is, I know when to react and when not to. When I don’t like something I have to show my anger!” While Shahin is pursuing bachelors in social work, Durgesh Kumari is a student of BA programme in DU’s School of Open Learning. Kumari adds: “It isn’t our fault to have not reacted. Our families always told us to ignore when situations like these arose. But now, I shout at men who tease and dare them to repeat this with anyone else. It is after learning self-defence that we realised how important it is to show our anger and protest against what is unacceptable and indecent.”
The thought echoes the impressions of Vout who uses his improvised self-defence technique to empower those who have limited resources. “We are mammals and like animals we have a natural way of fighting. There are often discussions about promotion of sports and martial arts but, according to me, the best way of defending ourselves is through self-defence.”
His defence techniques and its descriptive documentation are also available in the form of a book – I Can Defend Myself. Literature like this is benefiting both - women from the upper strata of society and the underprivileged in slums.
“The self-defence tricks mentioned in the book need not require any special kick-boxing training, or a muscular body. These techniques are basic and natural and are, in fact, inspired from the way children and animals react at situations of fight or war.” Vout suggests: “The mothers should be empowered first. Even today mothers tell their daughters to fix the buttons before they step out of the house.”
The frustration with the mindset becomes visible in his voice as he tries to explain his urge to work for the cause.The scenario is perhaps witnessing a change now. “Our teachers now tell us to inform elders if we face any trouble,” says 13-year-old Sukhrana. Her schoolmate Bharti adds: “Earlier parents used to stop us from going for tuitions since it gets late by the time we return. But now having learnt self-defence we feel confident and assure them that we will be fine.”
When asked about India’s image abroad on crime against women, Vout says: “Even before the December 16 case, so many incidents had taken place but nobody spoke about them. Suddenly, one case caught the attention of all. I didn’t quite like how the western world painted India as an awful place to be in, because assaults happen everywhere in the world. The only difference between India and Europe is that in the West, if a woman is raped, the blame is on the assaulter and not the victim.”