DIPCHAND BIHARI
Bhubaneswar: Rising crime against women has raised questions about their safety especially in the wake of criminal assault against adolescent girls and minors. Parents and guardians are also a worried lot because their children’s safety is now at stake. Conscious parents have started permitting their children to learn self-defence skills from a tender age. Many school girls are being sent to a Karate School at Unit IX to acquire basic defence skills such as punches and kicks for their own defence.
Speaking to Orissa POST, parent Pratima Dhadiasingh of Shashtri Nagar said, “As it is impossible for me to stay with my child all the time, I am sending her to acquire basic defence skills. Kidnaps, rapes and murders against minor and teenage girls are happening around us. We have to be conscious about our children’s safety.” Parent Pradeep Kumar Maharana said, “I am afraid of sending my daughter alone. I escort her to tutorial classes and pick her back.
But, self-defence classes have brought some relief. My daughter has been applying her tricks on me after her classes.” Several guardians have appreciated the initiative of the state government to train adolescent girls in self-defence skills. Karate trainer Hari Prasad Patnaik says, “We have been training school and college students in self defence skills, called React. More than 12 lakh girls have learnt self-defence since 2013.” “The girls should first develop body and mind fitness. Then she can shield herself from opponents by shouting, jumping, scratching, hitting and kicking. Girls must practice in their homes for at least 35 minutes thrice a week. We also ensure the physical and mental development of the girls at the training. She must have confidence in her potential to fight a criminal,” Patnaik added. City-based schools affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education also conduct physical and martial training classes for girls from Class I to Class X as per a CBSE directive