Now, An All-Women Anti-Riot Squad In Karnataka

To tackle the skewed ratio in the police force, the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) will now employ as many as 120 women constables in the department. The rising crime in the state’s heart, Bengaluru, is also a key reason behind this initiative.

According to the reports, in a first, an all-women anti-riot squad has been formed which will help control women protesters. The all-women anti-riot troop is now getting trained in computer technology alongside martial arts.

Quoting the statement from Economic Times here: “the trigger for this all-women squad was the garment workers' protest and the Cauvery riots of last year. In April, thousands of garment workers, many of them women, rioted and blocked highways to protest against the Union government's proposed amendments to provident fund withdrawal norms. Visuals of male police lathi-charging at women protesters went viral and KSRP had to seek help from the women's wings of other paramilitary forces."

It was noticed that KSRP -- a special force for riot control – has been under a lot of pressure since its data shows a huge gender disparity within the department. Their 15 battalions did not have even one woman in the squad. Four of these battalions are based in Bengaluru and each battalion consists of 1,000 constables.

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To mind the gender gap, a list of women police from the law and order wing is called on in such situations. The state saw an increase in sexual crimes right after the Cauvery riots of last year. Later, Bengaluru witnessed the horrifying mass molestation on New Year’s Eve.

The women recruits are now undergoing special training in the Koramangala KSRP division. After completion of the training sessions in December, they will be deployed in Bengaluru and Belagavi to manning the city’s crucial areas.

“To strengthen the new KSRP women's wing, the department is giving them special training in karate and kung fu,“ said Bhaskar Rao, Additional Director General of Police, KSRP, Economic Times reported.

“Appointing women to the KSRP was overdue,“ said former state police chief ST Ramesh.

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“There should not be any differentiation in handling cases. Both men and women police should be able to handle both men and women related cases,“ the statement reads.

While being trained in the martial arts, the all-women anti-riot squad is also getting ready to handle different kind of weaponry such as using rifles, tear-gas crowds, checking wireless communication devices and on computers, Rao said.

Also Read: Wake up Bengaluru! Why the silence on sexual harassment?

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Read: A day out with women conductors in Bengaluru

Feature Image Credit: Indian Express

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