The sight of several women going for a run in the heart of Delhi just minutes past 12 a.m. on Monday is not something you see everyday.
200 women
Nearly 200 women gathered at Palika Bazar around 11.30 p.m.
The participants later ran 5 km around Connaught Place inner circle as part of the initiative, organised by the Delhi Police and an NGO, to encourage them to reclaim public spaces.
However, the event was more a symbol than a prescription.
“We are not saying that women should start running at night... It is important to be concerned about your safety and take necessary precautions. But it is also important to shed the fear that it is unsafe to go out at night,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Madhur Verma.
Manimala Ghosh, whose daughter and granddaughter both took part in the run, concurred.
“If a person has an interest they should just pursue it. You cannot live in fear,” she said. But what would happen if not for the police? At every 100 metres of the circuit, a sentry stood guard.
Freelance trainer Sujata Negi believes that running in Delhi is doable.
“You do not hear about as many rape cases here. But if this event was happening in Gurugram or Noida, even my folks would have probably stopped me from going,” she said. Shiv Kumar, a night security guard at Palika Bazar, thought the whole event was quite curious.
“Normally there are more women here than men anyway. I don’t understand what all the fuss is about,” he quipped.
