The municipality of South Dum Dum will soon be the first civil institution in the province, and probably the world, to set up a self-defense academy to train schoolgirls in martial arts such as judo, karate, judo, and taekwondo.
India’s 2011 census report reveals that 31 percent of Indians live in urban areas and 17 percent of urban residents live in slums, or 65 million people. The study points out that slum dwellers usually lack durable accommodation, access to drinking water, access to sanitation, decent living space and stable tenure.
Women in India constitute about half the country’s strength, so the need for the hour is to bring in women’s empowerment in order to make the country strong in the true sense. Women need to be encouraged to recognize their freedom to be autonomous for their proper growth and advancement in any sector and region. If society is unable to provide them with adequate protection, it is compulsory for them to learn to defend themselves. It is not necessary to perceive them as powerless victims of patriarchal chauvinism. International Women’s Day, Mother’s Day and other celebrations are not enough to raise awareness in society of women’s true rights and values in the growth of the nation.
Here is a 28-year-old Ryena Gupta, a trained chartered accountant, law scholar and secretary of a corporation who teaches slum dwellers in self-defense.
A woman in her late 20s is also battling it out in real life at a time when the nation is experiencing rape shockers every other day and there is a steep rise in crime rates, especially against women. A trained chartered accountant, law scholar and business clerk, 28-year-old Ryena Gupta teaches slum dwellers in self-defense.
Interestingly, in the senior division, Ryena Gupta was also the first Indian girl to win a medal at the Asian Karate Games, breaking several records.
A karate champion herself, she has not only represented India on different international forums but has also received a range of awards. But lately, she has begun to visit different locations and hold seminars to teach self-defense strategies to men and women, boys and children.
No noble job, however, is complete without obstruction. “Why am I learning self defense? Why is he not being taught how to behave?”Why am I learning self-defense? Why is he not taught how to behave?”We try to explain to them that out of 100 boys, not all are bad. It is only a few segments of them for whom this male community is stigmatized. So, when you know that the world can be bad for you, you should take steps and be able to protect yourself.”We try to explain to them that not all of the 100 boys are bad. This male community is stigmatized for only a few segments of them. So when you know that the world can be bad for you, you should take steps and be a male community.
She stated, ”I want to make it as easy a method as I can when I try to illustrate it to them such that they understand it for a long time and can still derive such tactics from them in times of need. So, when teaching them, I send them situations that they can relate to, such as how to react if someone is squeezing
She instructs her students to heed their feelings and, if they sense anything is not right, respond immediately. She also shows them how to use areas of the body, such as knucklebones, elbows, legs, to attack persons attempting to damage them without harming themselves.”
You can slice, slash and run away aside from that. But, these are the key parts where you’re not going to get injured. Because it’s all gone the moment you get hurt,” Apart from this you can bite, scratch and you can run away. But, these are the major portions where you won’t be hurt. Because the moment you get hurt, it is all gone, “It’s all gone. Though you need to be vigilant.
On 13 June 2018, BDM International organized a Self-Defence Training Programme for the female students of the Senior Secondary Section, holding the female empowerment in mind. The workshop was performed in cooperation with the Kolkata Police by Ms Ryena Gupta and Mr. Prateek Pandya of the Calcutta Eminence Rotaract Club. The notion that a girl is dependent and lacks the capacity to defend herself and her integrity is a part of the thinking process of everyone in our world. With this belief, the school does not agree and pleads to differ. BDMI has always claimed that girls are as responsible as the male workers for the growth of the world. Thus, it is important to keep this aspect of society as separate as possible. It is necessary for girls to be autonomous, sovereign and self-determined.
To contend with the daunting situations that can emerge to obstruct the advancement and growth of women. That it took the initiative to step in the direction of empowering the girl child is surely laudable and appreciable of the school. Such interventions can undoubtedly contribute to the recognition of the upliftment of women in society in the real sense of the truth and help women to extend and reinvent what they can be, do and achieve in a position they were historically refused.
