Four years ago, on a night, Seema Bhai received a phone call from a grief-stricken woman.
She was so dejected with her life owing to family discord that she wanted to end it. Determined to talk her out of that, Seema, who was hardly a year into her role as a Nirbhaya volunteer, met the woman at a mall in the neighbourhood.
“Next day, the woman gave me a ring to tell that her zest for life has returned, and for me it was no less than an award,” said Seema, one among the early volunteers to join the Nirbhaya programme when it was launched on a pilot basis in the district in 2014 for the welfare and protection of women and children. An interaction The Hindu had with similar leaders of Nirbhaya volunteers on Thursday demonstrated that it wasn’t a one-off experience. They were part of the 110 volunteers, attached in groups of three to five under a leader, to 23 police stations within the Kochi city limits after a seven-day training to help them deal with physical, legal and emotional challenges of their task.
Recollecting her intervention that improved the life of a 54-year-old unmarried woman living in inhuman conditions at Maradu, Sudheena, another Nirbhaya leader, turned emotional while sharing her experience.
Justice dispensation
“The rapport these volunteers build during field visits has ensured better justice dispensation in cases of sexual abuse and harassment against women and children. These civilian representatives of the police also serve as a deterrent against unscrupulous elements,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police T. Biji George, the district nodal officer for the Nirbhaya programme.
Mary Philomina, nicknamed ‘Laughy’ for the constant smile on her face, believes that Nirbhaya volunteers are indeed a bridge between victims and the police. “Our association, with the police help, remove the public’s fear about the force,” said Omana Rajan and Padmakumari, leaders of Nirbhaya volunteers.
Duties of volunteers include visits to colonies, anganwadis, households, hostels, rescue homes, bus stops, beaches, malls, schools and colleges, and textile shops, and reporting incidents to their respective police stations.
“Volunteers try to resolve matters at their level without taking them to police stations, and in cases where it is needed, victims approach the police,” said M.C. Sathy, Sub Inspector, Police Women’s Cell.
Now, with the success of the pilot project in Kochi, similar programme is running in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode cities.
