As marshals patrol Vivekananda Park, women feel safe to walk

Seven days after a group of marshals were deployed at Vivekanand Park in Rajinder Nagar for women safety by the North Corporation, the park dwellers and the residents said their presence has made the area “peaceful” and increased the footfall.

In a first of its kind initiative, the civic agency accepted a proposal from Rajender Nagar councillor Rajesh Bhatia and deployed seven marshals of the civil defence for the security of women and called it a “gift” for them on the eve of Rakshabandhan.

The seven marshals work in shifts of eight hours and two are present at the park at any given time to check and prevent any suspicious activity.

The step was taken after the residents complained of incidents of eve-teasing and chain snatching from the park and the nearby area.
 
“Earlier, there used to be men drinking and gambling in the park. Girls would feel afraid of entering or passing through it. But after the marshals started their vigil, the number of girls and women in the park has increased,” said local resident Parvati.

While launching the park, Bhatia had said, “Women have as much rights over the public places as men but they compromise owing to lack of safety and security measures for women. Deployment of marshals especially for their safety would encourage women and girls to visit the park.”

The park, also known as Sindhi Park, is located in North Delhi Municipal Corporation’s Karol Bagh zone and is spread across five acres.

“We have to constantly take rounds of the park to check any untoward incident.  We also keep an eye on the area outside the park. Coucillor Rajesh Bhatia comes in the morning to check and informs us if he wants any improvement in our work,” said Marshal Rahul Singh, who was taking rounds of the park at 4 pm on Friday.

Pooja, who resides opposite the park, said the area has become “peaceful” after the deployment of marshals.

“Earlier, young boys used to visit the park and get into fights and make a lot of noise. Now, the situation has improved,” she said. “My scooty’s battery was stolen by someone who used to visit the park and keep a watch on my schedule some months ago. Now there is a sense of security,” she added.

Singh said they have written to the MCD’s horticulture department to close the park for some hours in the night as hardly anyone visits it.