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New Delhi: Wasma Asif,
15, daily walks home from her school in a neighbourhood where
young girls are often subjected to harassment and lewd comments.
So, a determined Asif has learnt to use her book and pen as a
weapon against rowdies, courtesy a self-defence workshop.
"Sometimes we are scared, because the boys comment on us, but now
I feel we have the confidence to face them!" a proud Asif, a Class
9 student at Jamia school in Jamia Nagar here, told IANS.
Punches, attacks, blocks, kicks, standing action, hair grip plus
book and pen attack are the main features of the workshop.
However, the secret weapon is the 'the lower kick' in the groin
region of the male harasser.
"It never fails, though it is our last resort," said Asif as she
stretched her legs and arms as part of the warm-up session.
Organised by Jamia Millia Islamia and Delhi Police, the annual
workshop focuses on teaching school girls the basic self-defence
techniques to thwart any unwanted advances from the opposite sex
in public transport or on the road.
At present over 200 young women are being trained in the
university's gymnasium everyday in two batches - the morning batch
for the girls from Jamia Milia Islamia Higher Secondary School and
the afternoon for Jamia university girls.
The 14-day workshop commenced Nov 26.
"We organise a lot of self-defence workshops. Crime against women
in Delhi is on the rise and we want our girls to be safe," said
Tarannum Siddiqui, a research assistant at Jamia and a key
organiser of this project.
"Three female trainers from the special police unit of women and
children teach the girls. They will be trained to defend
themselves against harassment or molestation attempts in public
places," she added.
Siddiqui said as most of the girls are students of mass
communication or social studies, working late night or staying out
at odd hours should not become an occupational hazard for them.
Her views were shared by the trainers as well.
"We want children to have self-confidence in themselves so we
teach them these techniques," said Laxmi Kant, assistant
commissioner of police and one of the trainers.
Now in its fourth year, the university plans to continue the
workshops every semester as it had received phenomenal response
from parents as well. Jamia will also organise a similar workshop
for its academic staff as well.
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