It is 8 a.m. and Sub-Inspector M.Tamil Selvi is on the beat in Tirumangalam. Not bothered about the morning sun beating down, she is on a two-wheeler driving around schools and colleges and occasionally hopping on to a city bus to check eve-teasing. Two of her colleagues Indumathi and Vijayalakshmi (both Grade I) are also on the same job. All of them left their homes early in the morning by 6 to be present for the roll call by wireless followed by instructions for duty deployment before moving to the field.
By the time they get back to their office – the All Women Police Station (AWPS) in Triumangalam – people are waiting in the small lawn in front of the building with petitions. On the otherwise busy and dusty Usilampatti road, stands this small red building that is spic-and-span inside and dotted with potted plants. Outside there is so much chaos but inside there is an absolute air of calm where 10 dedicated women cops discharge their duty. To them, any woman can walk up to have “positive interactions”.
“Positive” it is because as both -- Shailesh Kumar Yadav, the Commissioner of Police (Madurai city) and Vijayendra S. Bidari the Superintendent of Police (Madurai district) under whom come the four AWPS each in city and rural – point out that number of FIRs registered for crime against women cases has significantly dropped.
For instance, statistics collected from the four city AWPS in Tallakulam, Town, South and Tiruparankundram, show 2,291 non-cognisable offences maintained in the Community Service Register from January to September this year. Of these, only 52 have been converted into FIRs. “This means less than three per cent of the total complaints we received went for trial in the court. Our officers are also helping to reduce the burden of Mahila Courts,” says Shailesh Yadav.
“People normally come to Police as the last resort. But now with every complaint promptly registered, a positive image has been built and an overwhelming majority of the cases are being settled through counselling,” adds Vijayendra Bidari. In fact, Madurai tops in Tamil Nadu in highest registration of cases against women.
Inspector N.Meena is In-charge of the AWPS Tirumangalam. She has a hard exterior but when she listens to grieving women of all ages, she turns into a friend, a sister, a daughter and even advises like a mother. “I am available for them round-the-clock,” says Meena who goes home only on weekends. Other days she stays back in a room inside the police station. “By rule, we do not accept complaints after 6 p.m. and in the evening and nights are mostly patrolling or going on rounds meeting families of the complainants or following up on a case,” she says, as she tries to draw 18 years old Mahalakshmi out of her apprehension. In between sobs, Mahalakhsmi shares with the police inspector that she is in love with a boy and wants to marry him. But the boy’s parents are against the marriage and declared him a minor based on what she suspects are fake certificates. Meena doesn’t waste time in asking the girl to give a written complaint, calls up the boy’s mother to cross check and calls her to the police station for a discussion.
“There’s nothing better than consoling a person in need or helping someone in pain,” Meena says. “I was always passionate about policing and wanted to do something worthwhile, that would make a difference in people’s lives,” she adds.
She and each of her colleagues at the AWPS go through unsociable hours and lots of their hours are on call. Yet they show no grudge or fatigue. If anything, they bring a sort of peaceful vibe and seem less threatening.
“The best part of my job is securing lengthy conversations even while dealing with serious family issues of others. We are better at calming down people with our verbal techniques and convincing them of looking at peaceful solutions,” notes Head Constable Magheswari. Her colleague Head Constable P.Malar who is the station writer, says though being a female cop is sometimes stressful and thankless but there is no bigger reward than seeing the increasing public satisfaction.
These women handle multiple tasks from investigative crime cases against women related to dowry and harassment, forced marriages or domestic violence, stalking or sexual offences, honour-based violence to providing protection, creating awareness on different types of abuses and ways to stay safe for young girls and women and enforcing punishment. Their life is busy and demanding. And they have their own families to take care of also.
But, says SI Mehraj, I wouldn’t think of doing anything else. “Changing people’s lives for the better in what is usually a time of difficulty for them is challenging. Sometimes you get to see the worst in humanity, sometimes you experience some of the best,” she remarks.
The AWPS (the other three in rural are at Samayanallur, Melur and Usilampatti) functions like any other normal police station. Says the SP, “The women officers are not made to feel disadvantaged in any way.” It is unfortunate that police is one of the most misunderstood function of the government. But, he adds, our policewomen no longer terrify the common man and are actually helping to improve the confidence of the people in them. They offer unique abilities within the police department, he says.
The senior officers also lead by mentoring them. Before Meena calls the next petitioner after Mahalakshmi, I enquire about her family. And suddenly her stern face melts into a softer expression and tears well up in her eyes: “My five year old son is admitted in the hospital with high fever. But I did not go home during the week to see him. When SP Sir came to know about it, he allowed me to leave early last weekend so that I could spend more time with my son, who is looked after by my husband and in-laws in my absence.”
Women cops like Meena fully understand they are the working interface of the police with the community. “I love everything about the job, the travel and working for other police areas, participating in ceremonial and public events, resolving cases and going on college or community visits,” she still says.
Clearly none of the women cops at AWPS have been put in the role as token gesture but they have worked to crumble gender bias and prove their strength, physical and mental.
QUOTE:
“Strict adherence to guidelines, quick response time, localising the issue and focussing on counselling, using preventive sections (like 107 of Cr.P.C) are collectively contributing to success for AWPS – Vijayendra S. Bidari, Superintendent of Police (Madurai District)
