Role of State Government in Safety of Women in the Chhattisgarh State

INTRODUCTION

Women's empowerment is ―a process whereby women become able to organize themselves to increase their own self-reliance, to assert their independent right to make choices and to control resources which will assist in challenging and eliminating their own subordination" (Keller and Mbwewe, 1991). Women Safety in India is a most important and very crucial issue now-a-days. India is a land where we worship goddess Lakshmi, Maa Durga, Saraswati and many more. It is land where women are being seen with a respect but with the changing scenario we think that we are at a stage where we talk about a place of women in a society equal to men but when the question come to their safety we don‘t have any answer and why we don‘t have answer to this question because still some people in the society exist who think that women are being made for household work they should be given any freedom if they will move out of the house they are not safe. Why this fear exists in the heart and mind of the people? Why we say women are not safe? Why are they being not allow to live as they want? Why they are being treated as a bonded person who is just made for household work? Why many parents don‘t allow them to stay back till night and work in offices or why not they are being allow to go out for study? This so many why make us force to think about where our society is lacking and when we try to find out the answer, we come to know that it is their safety. From here I think that our nation should start thinking about the safety of women. We should think of making them self-dependent not only in the aspect of education and career but also about their own safety and this aspect only one of the great steps is taken by Ms. Harsha Sahu (an International Karate Player) ―Rail Garjana‖ a mission to make women self-dependent. This research paper focuses on the initiative taken by state government for women safety in the state.

Chhattisgarh has carved niche to be the first state in the country to impart self-defence training to woman passengers. Mission Rail Garjana is an initiative by GRP (Government Railway Police) Chhattisgarh and National Magazine Mitan Police and Trainer Ms. Harsha Sahu for women to defend themselves with confidence and fearlessness in any adverse circumstances during travel. This Mission was started in the month of May in the year 2018 so far more than 60 thousand girls and women are being trained for self-defence. The age group selected for training is 8 years to 80 years. The tagline for Rail Garjana ―Satark Rahe, Surakshit Rahe, Maj boot been selected for training purpose. The districts covered during this mission are Bemetara, Raigarh, Bilaspur, Balrampur, Durg, Bhilai, Rajnandgoan, Dongargarh, Jashpur, Bhatagoan,Jangir- Champa, Mahasamund, Korba and nearby places. Noted self-defence trainer Harsha Sahu demonstrated training skills to the passengers during trains‘ halt at Raipur Railway Station. Taking initiative in view of increasing violence against women in moving trains, GRP (Chhattisgarh), Police and social organisation organised week-long (from May 14 to 20) ‗Rail Garjana‘, in which woman passengers will be imparted training for self-defence at Raipur, Bhilai, Durg, Rajnandgaon, Bilaspur and Raigarh railway stations. State leading self-defence trainer Harsha Sahu along with her team members will give defence tips to woman passengers on platforms as well as in the moving trains. Superintendent of Railway Police (SRP) Milna Kurrey, IPS was personally present along with Deputy Superintendent of Police (Rail) T R Kanwar during training in the running train between Raipur-Durg. They assured the lady passengers that Chhattisgarh Government Railway Police is going to help them in all possible way during any odd situation. Hasha Sahu taught the lady passengers techniques of self-defence and how to use general objects like pins, bangles, wrist watch, pen, clips, etc. as self-defence tools during odd situation.

• To study about how this mission has been started. • To study about the role of state government in this mission. • To know what safety tricks are being taught to the women for self-defence. • To study the views of Trainee‘s in this aspect.

This research is qualitative in nature and based upon the mainly primary data collected in the form of Personal Interview with Ms. Harsha Sahu and her Team member as well as some of the trainee‘s shared their personal experience how this mission helps them in self-defence from adverse condition. mission started and when this question was asked Ms. Harsha Sahu replied that Every single day single women, young girls, mothers and women from all walks of life are being assaulted, molested, and violated. The streets, public transport, public spaces in particular have become the territory of the hunters. While the ones already hunted down weep in silence or in disdain, the rest fight their way to a basic life with dignity. There is an unspoken war on the streets. Young school and college going girls use books to shield themselves, other women wear full-covered attire to protect their bodies, and others avoid the mere glance of the roving gaze. By seeing all this problem many times during my Interview by the press reporter I have been asked why don‘t I give self-defence training to the girls and women who travel all alone and face the situation of being molest or tease by the males travelling along them in same train or cab or in the same bus. So, after facing such questions I decided to start a mission and for these I approached the railway police force and Mitan Mahila Police and told them about the objective behind starting the ―Mission Rail Garjana‖ teaching self-defence in moving train. They like the concept and given permission to start this mission. This mission started with my 10 students in which 5 girls and 5 boys were there along with them 10 police person of RPF, SP Rank Officials, Traffic Inspector accompanied and we started this mission in the month of May in the year 2018. Inauguration of this program was done at Raipur Railway station and we started with waiting hall than platform and after giving training to this place we boarded female compartment of the local train which runs between Raipur to Durg. In moving train, we trained the safety techniques to the female passengers. The very good aspect of this mission was that from very 1st day of the mission SP of Raigarh Ms. Milina Kurrey also joined and she also travelled through this one-week program and in this one-week program we covered Bhatapara, Bilaspur, Raigarh, Bhatapara, Rajnandgoan. And from here our journey started and so far, we have trained more than 60 thousand girls and women of age 8 to 60, who travel in a train and after this we have covered more than 70 schools and college of Raipur and nearby places of Raipur and trained the girls out there. While this training was on I and my team get a call from Rajya Mahilla Aayog where we were asked to train physically challenged student. There we trained 30 blind girls this technique of self-defence and it was even broadcasted with the name of ―Himmat ki Jyoti‖ Ms.Harsha Sahu was that this mission Rail Garjana has created a history and get their name in Golden Book of World Record for making more than 1 lakh girls and women trained for their own safety in the adverse condition. 2. Government of Chhattisgarh given permission to start this mission with the help of GRP (Government Railway Police) Chhattisgarh and National Magazine Mitan Police as well as some known SP of different districts join this mission. This mission was started with an mission to safeguard women while travelling as well as to make them self- dependent in case if they stuck somewhere at some place where no one is there to protect them from that adverse condition they can by self-defence techniques can self-guard themselves. These camps were organised for free of cost so that a greater number of women can learn this technique. 3. The techniques for self-defence taught to the lady passengers‘ techniques of self-defence and how to use general objects like pins, bangles, wrist watch, pen, clips, etc. as self-defence tools during odd situation. Some of the other techniques taught were the punches used in Karate and how-to self-defence using knee and elbow. While training it was also suggested to carry the pepper spray as it is most effective technique to safe guard ourselves when such adverse situation arises. 4. Some of trainee‘s who learnt this technique shared their experience with Ms. Harsha Sahu that while travelling one girl was being tease by the group of the girl another girl sitting next to her name Divya was watching it than it took out the pepper spray and she sprayed it to the gang of boys who were troubling another girl. And after this she gave a call to RPF. Next upcoming station the boys were arrested by the RPF people. Another incident she shared about a 41-year-old gynaecologist was out on an emergency call at 3 a.m. on a foggy December night in Raipur last year when a group of young boys started stalking her. Within seconds, she whipped out a pepper spray from her brown handbag and Sprayed in the eyes of one of the boys who was coming near to her. The gang fled. "I often have to attend to emergencies at odd hours. The safety measure taught by you Harsha Mam gives me the confidence that I can protect myself," she says. Many more experiences many more incidences are their which Ms. Harsha Sahu come to know from the girls or women who had learned this safety measures. interview with Ms. Harsha Sahu, my findings of based on objective of my research work is as follows: 1. This mission was an initiative took by Ms. Harsha Sahu in order to safeguard the girls or women who are travelling all alone for their job or for studies. This initiative taken by Ms.Harsha was successful because so far they have trained more than 1 lakh women. After successful completion of Mission Rail Garjana Ms.Harsha Sahu is planning to start this mission in moving buses as well as for the female passenger who are travelling in cab but she has so far not decided the name of this mission. 2. The good part of this mission was that along with the permission of Central Government the RPF (Railway Police Force), Mahilla Mitan Police, Rajya Mahilla Aayog and SP of Raigarh city were present throughout this mission and their support was continuously their which help this mission to become successful. This mission was also appreciated by the Railway Minister Mr. Piyush Goel and he Retweeted the Tweet of Harsha Karate Academy and tweeted that it‘s a good effort taken by Ms. Harsha and he appreciate the work done by Rail Garjana team members. 3. The safety measure taught during this mission was comprising of day to day things which generally a woman carries in her bag and it is very easy to use it and carry it along with this they were even made learn some of the karate kicks and punches for the emergency situation. 4. Learners who has learned this techniques are very happy with this initiative of Ms.Harsha Sahu and more happy because government has supported full fledgy for this mission. If all the state government become aware of this situation of the female of the city and they take a small step the day is not far when women will be fearless and they can even work in the night shift with all safety and rate of child abusing, eve teasing, molestation and rape will start declining.

On basis on my study following are some suggestions: We all have heard about the Nirbhaya Case which has not only shaken our country but also revealed the real condition of women of our country. Today we talk about advancement we talk about the nation which is globalized but when we look around we see nominal punishment they get and are again set free so to avoid all this cases and to improve the condition of women of our nation there is a need that Central Government should think of it and they should run mission like Rail Garjana for the women those who are out to their houses for job, study etc. If this initiative will start in all the state the day is not far where we can say our nation is such nation where for the girls no fear no worry, they can move easily in the city without any fear.

Women Safety is one of the important issues of today‘s India. In order to safeguard the women, there is a need that along with the central government, state government and the citizen of India need to join hands together to safe the women and to reduce the rate of rape, eve teasing, sexual harassment etc. Chhattisgarh has carved niche to be the first state in the country to impart self-defence training to woman passengers. Mission Rail Garjana is an initiative by GRP (Government Railway Police) Chhattisgarh and National Magazine Mitan Police and Trainer Ms. Harsha Sahu for women to defend themselves with confidence and fearlessness in any adverse circumstances during travel. This Mission was started in the month of May in the year 2018 so far more than 60 thousand girls and women are being trained for self-defence. The age group selected for training is 8 years to 80 years. The tagline for Rail Garjana ―Satark Rahe, Surakshit Rahe, Maj boot Bane‖ with this the main focus lies on the self-defence of women in today‘s scenario where women are not safe. This not only benefitted the women but also make them confident enough that they don‘t have to depend on any person for their safety they by themselves can safe their life by this self-defence tricks and techniques.

http://www.endvawnow.org/uploads/browser/files/understanding_womens_safety.pdf https://www.livemint.com/Politics/5RHy13lfID09ZiGBUs2ANK/New-measures-to-protect-women.html https://mha.gov.in/node/96175/ https://www.jaagore.com/power-of-49/is-the-fate-of-the-girl-child-in-india-changing-girlchildweek https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jul/02/india-most-dangerous-country-women-survey Different Newspaper Cutting sends by Ms. Harsha Sahu.

Assistant Professor, Department of Commerce, St. Xavier's College of Management and Technology, Patna thakkar.rachna86@gmail.com