CISF announces all-woman combat group for Delhi metro

Self defence is the first and foremost technique to use in times of distress. And to spread this message, the women commandos of the Central Industrial Security Force demonstrated a form of Filipino martial art called Pekiti-Tirsia Kali on the occasion of International Yoga Day in Connaught Place in New Delhi on June 21st.

A total number of 250 commandoes from CISF along with the personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces got together in the morning to celebrate Yoga day. The martial art session started at 5.40 in the morning and went on for an hour. The demonstration was especially for women to encourage them to learn self defence for themselves. The celebration of Yoga day was attended by senior officers of CISF and other paramilitary forces like NDRF, SSB, BSF, ITBP and others.

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CISF also took the opportunity to announce an all-women combat group for the Delhi metro. The group is called the Internal Combat Group, the members of which were part of the Pekiti-Tirsia Kali demonstration. Since the CISF are trained in a variety of techniques involving the Filipino martial art they will be able to fight offenders in the narrow enclosures of the trains efficiently. A session to teach self defence was also organized at two metro stations especially for women who travel by metro on a regular basis.

The need for an all-women combat group has arisen due to the increase in cases of molestation against women in the metros. “We have received many complaints about miscreants trying to touch women inappropriately during peak hours and even commit thefts. To provide women safer travel, the team would be deployed in civil dress to keep a watch on such offenders,” said DIG CISF (DMRC) Raghubir Lal to TOI. “These women use the smallest of daily use things to tackle a person with a much stronger built,” the DIG added. The group will also provide regular women with combat education to save themselves during any case of molestation.

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The CISF comprise of about 5.12 percent women commandoes of their total workforce. Only last year, the defence ministry passed an order to reserve 33percent seats for women constables in their workforce.

Defence techniques should definitely be taught to women in Delhi more often. And the government should also organise more activities to generate awareness among women to attend self defence classes.

Feature Image Credit: Rediff