Rajasthan: This Government Teacher Trains Differently Abled Girls In Self-Defence To Tackle Attackers

The increasing number of gender-based violence is a prevalent issue that must be addressed. Several awareness campaigns have been organised recently, and girls are encouraged to learn self-defence techniques. To tackle the same issue, a government school teacher from Rajasthan's Alwar district has also taken an initiative.

Asha Suman trains differently abled girls in self-defence to tackle attackers using specialised techniques. She believes these girls are more vulnerable to sexual assaults, and it becomes essential to train them in the methods of self-defence so that they become capable of protecting themselves.

Over 300 Girls Trained In Rajasthan

Suman, a teacher at a primary school in the Alwar district of Rajasthan, started the initiative with girls facing disabilities in 2015, especially vision loss. She is also a self-defence expert, trained under the state police. In 2019, she shifted to Mumbai to learn unarmed combat so that she could teach the same to disabled girls in Rajasthan.

According to a report by The Print, Suman teaches kick, punch, and backward and forward hand movement to disabled girls. She believes that these techniques wouldn't only empower these girls, but it will also build confidence.

She said, "Daily activities like opening a door, brushing their teeth, climbing a staircase, etc., are used as defence techniques. Through this method, they learn quickly and are fully trained in 10-12 days." However, these techniques might vary depending on the disabilities of the girls.

In the past three years, she has trained more than 300 girls across Rajasthan. Recently, Suman trained 55 differently abled girls, out of which 11 had vision loss, at a state-run training camp in Jodhpur.

Training Self- Defence Techniques

One disabled girl, Pooja Goswami, who came to attend the training camp at Jodhpur, said that now she feels confident and it was easy to learn the self-defence techniques. Her mother mentioned that she always used to be worried about Pooja's safety when she went outside alone, but now she can tackle attackers.

Similarly, a class 12 student from Alwar, Monika, is also confident after learning the self-defence techniques. She said, "I can't see, but I can protect myself. If the attacker strikes from the front, I can combat by hitting with my palm, and if the attack comes from behind, I can use my elbow to tackle."

According to Human Rights Watch, girls and women with disabilities face high chances of sexual assault in India. They might find it challenging to escape violent situations due to limited movement.

In 2013, a disabled girl from the Hooghly district in West Bengal was raped multiple times, and she was unaware of the action she must have taken to tackle the attacker. The initiative taken by Suman should become a national movement to reduce crime against women and girls.

Also Read: Chhattisgarh Olympics: Here's How This Event Promotes Rural Women Participation & Traditional State Sports