“अब न सहना, न चुप रहना"

• South District Police Showcases ‘Sashakti’ Program at Thayagaraj Stadium
• Over 7,000 School Girls Trained in Self Defense Convey the Message of Women Empowerment
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 The South Zone of Delhi Police organized a mega function to promote 'Self Defense Training' for women and girls at the Thayagaraj Stadium on 26/12/17 to showcase the year long accomplishments under the newly introduced 'Sashakti' program. The Chief Guest for the event was Shri Anil Baijal, Hon'ble Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and the function saw enthusiastic participation by over 7,000 school girls trained in martial arts, drawn from seven Districts of Delhi Police i.e. South East, South, South West, Dwarka, West and Outer apart from trainers, school principals and respectables from the society.

The ceremony began with the welcome address by Jt. CP Southern Range who laid down the details of the efforts undertaken by Delhi Police towards sensitization and empowerment of women by introducing them to customized training programs in self defense techniques imparted by expert trainers by organizing 361 camps in the seven districts of South Zone in the calendar year 2017. Thereafter, a short documentary film was presented to the audience wherein trained school girls have enacted real life scenes of stalking, purse snatching, pick-pocketing and harassment at four different locations viz. Lajpat Nagar Market, Select City Mall, Rajiv Chowk Metro Station and Bharti College bus stand, Janakpuri. The film was received with a thunderous applause by all present.

The documentary film was followed by a mesmerizing and sensitive performance by artistes of The Color Bakery theatre group which sent across the message that irrespective of varied socio-economic backgrounds, females in today’s consumption oriented and patriarchal society face similar kinds of harassment and are susceptible to similar vulnerabilities if they chose to remain silent. The play emphasized on the universality of the need to equip oneself with the basics of self defense techniques. The closing moments of the play, wherein the artistes sang 'हम लड़ेंगे, हम बढ़ेंगे' touched everyone present in the program.

After the documentary, the stage was electrified by stellar live demonstrations of self defense techniques by three different groups of trainers and their trainees drawn from South East, South and West districts. Expert black belt trainers associated with Delhi Police showcased their protégés who gave a live demonstration of how to save oneself from knife attacks, acid throwers, molesters, snatchers, etc. The whole stadium was seen erupting into applause whenever trained school girls were seen throwing around the attackers and reducing them into incapacitated pulps.

After the performances, the Chief Guest along with the Commissioner of Police, Special Commissioner of Police, Law and Order (South Zone) and Special Commissioner of Police (WSAM) were invited on the stage to felicitate selected school Principals and Sashakti trainers from the seven districts of South Zone. A total of seven school principals (one each from seven districts of South Zone) and fourteen trainers (two each from the seven districts) were presented with mementoes and certificates of appreciation. Being felicitated by the Constitutional Head of the National Capital, was a moment of extreme pride.

The felicitation ceremony was followed by the keynote address of the Commissioner of Police, Delhi who highlighted the need for learning self defense techniques as a tool for raising self confidence and empowerment of women and girls and reiterated the commitment of Delhi Police towards the safety and security of its female residents. The CP, Delhi informed the audience that the one year of Sashakti program has been a learning experience and in the days and months to come, the training program will be further intensified and remodeled to compare with the best in similar community policing initiatives. The CP, Delhi thanked the Hon’ble LG, Delhi for his unflinching support and encouragement for all endeavors of Delhi Police which are aimed at making Delhi a safer place for women and girls to live, study, work, grow and to realize their best potential in the service of the society and nation as a whole.

After the address of CP, Delhi, the Hon'ble LG, Delhi delivered the Chief Guest's address wherein he praised the efforts being taken by Delhi Police and assured that whatever assistance and support is required to carry forward this initiative shall be provided. The LG, Delhi said that in a country like ours where every form of accomplishment is deified like Saraswati for knowledge, Laxmi for wealth and Durga for strength, it's indeed very unfortunate that due to a very small percentage of misguided, uninformed and anti-social elements, the women and girls are considered to be the weaker sex. While calling upon all the girl children as the real chief guests of the day, he called upon them to further spread the light and the message of 'अब न सहना, न चुप रहना' and blessed them all for a bright future in the service of the society, nation and the entire humanity.

To end the ceremony, there was laser light show in synchronization with the national anthem and a display of over 7000 certificates in self defense training which the school girls held aloft as their way of thanking Delhi Police and the Chief guest.

The vote of thanks was delivered by DCP/South who assured the Chief Guest that the Delhi Police will keep following the illuminated path and ideals laid down by him in ensuring that each and every women and girl of Delhi remains safe, secure and lives her life with full dignity to realize the dream of an empowered nation through empowered women.