Soon, schoolgirls in state can kick and punch danger away

A team of 60 police personnel from the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) is all set to train girls studying in government schools in the state in self-defence.

In the first phase of the project, the team will train students of Bengaluru Urban and Belagavi districts. Launching the programme, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the government would launch a ‘Self Defence Army,’ April 15 onwards.

An informal class was held in Bengaluru on Tuesday, where students from 12 government schools and two PU colleges were trained in protecting themselves in difficult situations.

These classes will be extended to all government schools and also, students of private schools, if they are interested. Sources in the KSRP said the training will be free
of cost.

“We chose Bengaluru Urban and Belagavi as we have battalions in these two districts. The training will be extended to other districts subsequently,” a KSRP official said.

KSRP plans to send recorded video capsules, through which girls can learn for now in the other districts.

The classes will be conducted during weekends on the school premises. The KSRP has formed two teams of 30 women constables each. The teams will teach girl children in securing themselves during untoward situations.

Alok Kumar, additional director general of police, KSRP, told DH that the training’s objective was to increase the confidence level among girl students to fight in untoward situations, physically and mentally.

“In any adverse situation, if a girl has to face it alone, she needs to be confident enough both mentally and physically to resist, question and challenge it. This is the essence of our training at schools,” Kumar explained.

Flagging off the training module, Bommai said, “There is an immediate need to bring in a policy to train students in these arts. I have already discussed this in detail with the DG&IGP and other senior police officers. A proposal has already been sent to the finance department for approval.”

Separate academy

The minister promised that soon, a separate training academy to train women police personnel will be set up in Karnataka.

In Bengaluru Urban and Belagavi districts, the classes will be conducted on weekends from next week by fixing a schedule in coordination with school
authorities.

A class 10 girl from a school in Bengaluru who attended the class on Tuesday said, “it was so exciting to learn techniques through which I can protect myself during a difficult situation.”