With the help of community policing, Mission Shakti hosted an awareness drive at Parsvnath Planet, a residential colony in Lucknow’s Vibhuti Khand, on Saturday. Led by DCP Crime against Women and Security, Ruchita Chaudhary, the event was organised by the Planet’s Ladies Club of the colony to discuss female abuse, protection of children and benefits extended through Mission Shakti to keep a check on it. Besides the DCP, the panel of speakers included Shubhangi Singh, a legal activist who highlighted women rights in the programme. A Pink Patrol vehicle was also stationed at the event.
Bridging the distance between police & public
Uttar Pradesh’s homegrown women upliftment programme, Mision Shakti, has launched an extensive door-to-door awareness drive to spread the word about the dignity, security and employment of women. Reaching beyond public spaces, to more domestic set-ups such as residential colonies, the police wing of the campaign is bridging the distance between law enforcement and the public, especially women and children to avail the benefits by Mission Shakti.
The key aspect of this programme was to start a conversation about the social inequalities plaguing society and how to tackle them. It discussed the topic of gender discrimination and exploitation of women and children and introduced Mission Shakti, Pink Patrol and Pink Booths as a solution. Speakers at the event labelled them as ‘additional routes’ for women and children to experience a good life.
Besides this, women and children were encouraged to seek help from these special Pink services and other established provisions in the Lucknow Commissionerate without any fear or hesitation. Children and guardians were made aware of the special juvenile help desks at all police booths in the city that are equipped to deal with child issues in a more sensitised manner.
Special toll-free helpline numbers were introduced to the public, including 112 for emergencies, 181 for women rescue and short stay, 1098 ChildLine for Children Rights and crime and 1090 Women’s Power Helpline for bullying in public and cyberspace.
The benefits of Pink Booths & Pink Patrol
All special provisions of the Pink Booths were relayed to the attendees in detail. Set up for immediate assistance for women, these centres can be approached if a female is not feeling safe on the road. Besides instances as such, women can also take shelter in case of heavy rains or late at night while waiting for a vehicle. They also double up as maternity care centres where mothers can attend to child’s immediate need.
Similarly, Pink Patrol was also introduced as an extension of assistance in the absence of the Pink Booth in an area. They are already stationed outside markets, women colleges and school and are available for the protection of female on the city roads. The awareness campaign was concluded by a Q/A session where people discussed their woes with the speaker and mapped a solution for them.
The needs to develop provisions on a holistic scale
While speaking to Knocksense, the DCP highlighted that the police wing has conducted many such programmes for the public, educating them by means of pamphlets and nukkad nataks with standees on display. They soon will head to schools, colleges and other such institutes once the term-end exams are over.
Meanwhile, legal activist Shubhangi Singh highlighted the need to understand legal systems to develop provisions on a holistic scale and address them at all levels, be it public or bureaucrats. ”That’s why discussions and talks like these are very important because the people who come here, are from all walks of life. So one can only hope that these conversations are relayed. There are teachers here, bureaucrats here who take it forward.”
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