Clad in a black uniform and sporting a cap, with a baton secured to her belt, 21-year old Anish Nisha, a black belt holder in karate, stepped into the women’s coach on a Chennai Metro Rail train, and introduced herself to the passengers. “It is important to introduce ourselves since that’s the only way they [women passengers] will know what we are here for, and can reach out to us in case of an emergency,” assures the young security personnel.
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Like Ms. Anish, 23 women security personnel trained in martial arts have been inducted into the newly launched Pink Squad of the Chennai Metro Rail to step up the safety of women passengers. These personnel will do rounds on the trains and visit some of the most crowded stations within the 54-km Chennai Metro Rail system, including Chennai Central, Alandur, and Chennai Airport Metro Rail stations. “Our priority is to ensure that our presence makes women passengers feel confident. If there is any issue, they can always reach out to us,” she adds.
Women passengers who face any harassment or want to report any issue can call the Chennai Metro Rail helpline number (18604251515), and the women personnel will be directed to the location.
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Vasanthavizhi, a 28-year-old member of the squad, who is also trained in karate, silambam, and kickboxing, says, “If a passenger misbehaves with a woman, the squad members will hand him over to the station controller, who will then take him over to the nearest police station.”
Of the 2.7 lakh people who make use of the metro system every day, nearly 30 percent are women. M.A. Siddique, Managing Director of the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), says, “This move is intended to tell women passengers that we are doing everything possible to make the system safe for them. We want more women to travel comfortably and, hence, we are taking initiatives like CCTV surveillance or a squad of women security personnel.” He said the CMRL has been taking steps to create a separate helpline for women.
“After the initial rounds, some of the women passengers enquired about us and were mighty pleased that such a squad has been formed for their safety,” Ms. Vasanthavizhi adds.