KGBV girls will punish you with ‘Dhobi Pachad’
The initiative will make girls stronger and give a boost to their confidence. Selfdefence skills will help them take on molesters and harassers SANJAY KUMAR KUSHWAHA, BSA, Allahabad
ALLAHABAD: Next time a miscreant dares to harass a girl studying at any Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) in Uttar Pradesh, he may well end up getting the punishment of a lifetime in the typical Phogat sisters’ style, literally.
In a novel initiative, the state government has decided to provide training in traditional Indian wrestling or ‘kushti’ to about 73,000 girls studying at 746 KGBVs.
To boost the confidence of girls and arm them with selfdefence skills, the Lucknowbased Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan project headquarters has instructed basic shiksha adhikaris (BSAs) of all the 75 districts to organise special training sessions ranging from 45 to 90 days. Trained and qualified women wrestlers will be hired for the programme. Kasturba Gandhi schools provide free primary and upper primary education to girls. Introduced in August 2004 under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan programme, the objective of KGBVs is to ensure quality education along with boarding facilities for girls by setting up residential schools at elementary level.
In a missive dated October 4, additional state project director of SSA Rajkumari Verma directed the BSAs to start training sessions from October 16.
Though the directive also mentions training in martial arts like karate, judo, taekwondo and boxing, it is for the first time that Indian traditional wrestling has been included in the list of selfdefence techniques to be taught to girls.
“Traditional Indian wrestling has a range of techniques like ‘Dhobi Pachad’, ‘Bagal Doob’, ‘Sanditod’ and ‘Kalajang’ for gripping, grappling and pinning down an opponent. These skills will make girls capable of defending themselves when in danger,” said a senior officer in the state education department.
Each school has been sanctioned Rs 10,000-20,000 for the mission. While the school officials are free to choose male trainers for boxing, karate, judo and taekwondo, only women trainers will have to be hired for wrestling.
A committee headed by the principal of District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) would be formed in each district having BSA as its member secretary.
District coordinator of girls’ education, district sports officer and district physical education teacher will be the members of the committee.