Very soon in Karnataka, self-defence training programmes will be launched for girl students of all schools and colleges. This was the announcement made by Chief Minister of the state, Basavaraj Bommai, on Sunday, February 6.
At a time when a row rages on regarding female students wearing hijabs to their educational institutions, Obavva Art of Self Defence Training was launched by the CM at an event which was organised at Vidhana Soudha. This programme will be for those girls who reside in state-run boarding schools that are run by the government's social welfare department.
"Many laws have been passed, programmes formulated and funds have been spent to check harassment and atrocities on women folk. But there is a need for imparting self-defence training for them too. The rogue elements could be taught a lesson if women are trained in self-defence," Bommai hoped.
The CM also wished that the departments of law, education and home can work together with society to ensure the safety and dignity of women. He said that the self-defence training programme should be a year-long programme and there are a few programmes that have been formulated through boarding schools of Karnataka and these are for the protection of women. He also went on to highlight how self-confidence is an important element of self-defence because those who are self-confident can more ably defend themselves and for all, training in self-defence will be akin to a tonic.
Also, the CM informed that an ambitious programme is in the works which will help provide self-defence training for as many as 50,000 girls students from Backward Classes and social welfare department hostels. It has been named after Onake Obavva, the warrior from the kingdom of Chitradurga, Karnataka. The name itself gives the strength to fight as she fought over two hundred intruders of the then Hyder Ali army at Madakarinayakana Kote fort in Chitradurga, Bommai recalled. The state is proud of its legacy of these brave women, the list of which also includes, Kittururani Chennamma, Belavadi Mallamma among many others.
Special programmes
The Government of Karnataka has decided on inducting 7,500 more NCC cadets on a yearly basis and the allocation that will be provided will be Rs 1,200 per cadet. As many as 75 more NCC units will be launched in schools as well as colleges. By the year 2023, the number of NCC cadets in the state will be 50,000.
Additionally, a special programme is in the works to provide self-defense training which will be on par with the military training that is provided to women, informed the CM. In this way, a foundation was laid for self-defence programmes, which also includes the celebration of Keladi Chennamma and Belavadi Mallamma Utsavs in the future. The social welfare minister Kota Srinivasa Pujary and top officials from the department, including Anil Kumar and Rashmi Mahesh, were present during the occasion.
