Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Live
‘Want to create a society that is safe for my daughter’
Says Navniet Sekera, winner of Readers’ Choice Award
In a career spanning 22 years, 1996 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Navniet Sekera has transformed from an encounter specialist to a man known for empathy and a pioneer in furthering gender equality and improving women’s safety in the state as well as the nation.
As a high-flying IPS officer of UP cadre, Sekera’s approach towards crime had created terror among criminals while he served as district police chiefs of several districts of Uttar Pradesh including Lucknow. He was also conferred with President Gallantry Medal in 2005 for his work in eliminating crime. But his most popular contribution in the last decade is the creation of Woman Power Line (WPL) - 1090 which is providing relief to women in distress since its official launch on November 15, 2012.
He is not only a visionary who identified the root of the problem of sexual harassment but is also a doer who created 1090 as an exemplar, not only for other states but also for other countries facing the same problem.
He also roped in a strong task force of over 46,000 college and school students called “Power Angels” for public-police interface to ensure that more women come forward when they face sexual harassment. Power Angels spread awareness and build confidence among women that they can speak up and create a culture of gender equality in a state notorious for its gender discrimination. Power Angels encourage victims to call 1090 for redressal of their grievances.
Sekera is part of a small group of crusading public officials who are modernising and democratising the Indian state.
Recalling the days when he chose to create the WPL, Sekera said many of his batchmates as well as some of his seniors were surprised over his decision that he started working on a concept that had very low probability to exist for very long instead of taking up a conventionally prestigious position as deputy inspector general or inspector general in charge of a zone or intelligence or crime.
“Despite all this, I felt that someone had to step forward to confront the deep-rooted problem of sexual harassment in the Indian society,” he said, and added, “As the father of a daughter, I felt that it was my personal and public duty to tackle a problem that is a result of misogyny in a highly patriarchal society,” he said.
He said the WPL concept changed his way of looking at life.
He said gender equality became a mission for him because he felt a filial responsibility to work towards creating a better future for the many millions of young women like his daughter. He said his rationale, as he puts it succinctly was, “to create a society that is safe for his daughter.”
Sekera said he decided to take on the “Ignore and Tolerate” culture that Indian society promotes among women and that allows men to harass them with impunity. He said he chose the name ‘Women Power Line’ as the initiative was to empower the women who were facing sexual harassment.
“Before conceptualising the WPL, I conducted extensive surveys among women and they told me exactly what they needed. Women wanted a dedicated platform they could reach out to that was secure, supportive and above all would take action swiftly,” he said.
Sekera, who is an engineering graduate with computer science stream, said he tried to use best of the technology in conceptualising WPL.
He said he was surprised when the number of recorded cases jumped a dramatic 104 times soon after the launch of WPL.
He said since its launch on November 15, 2012 to February 2018, WPL registered 9,18,478 complaints and solved 9,08,535 of them, achieving a success rate of a staggering 98.92%.
He said he remained associated with the WPL for over five years before being provided new responsibility as IG of police headquarters in Allahabad two months ago and it feels good to see that people had started recognising the effort put in to provide relief to women in distress.
“I am thankful to the entire Hindustan Times team for recognition to an effort from such a big platform,” he reiterated.
Before conceptualising the WPL, I conducted extensive surveys among women and they told me exactly what they needed NAVNIET SEKERA IG PHQ
ALLAHABAD