TEASED OR HARASSED? KNOCK COPS’ DOOR THROUGH LU VOLUNTEERS
LUKCNOW: Not just streets, even on college campus, girls are teased and harassed regularly. But just a handful muster the courage to report the matter to the police. To bridge this trust deficit between the victim and police, the Lucknow University has decided to depute volunteers - a group of students and teachers -- who would act as a channel of communication between them. These volunteers would be present in every department to encourage students to give vent to their grievances. The initiative, which draws heavily from the women’s cell being constituted in the state to ensure women’s safety, would begin first with the Lucknow University, ADG Sutapa Sanyal said. It would be taken to other colleges thereafter, she added. “Often girls do not want to go to the police stations to report crime. In such a case, these student volunteers would bring their complaints to us and we (the police) would try our best to solve them. This would also help us win the trust of young girls and ensure their safety.” Students of the Arts College are already on the task of designing posters on women empowerment, which would be displayed across the campus by next week, said LU sources. There would also be selfdefence training and awareness workshops for girls on the campus. “By next week, student volunteers would hold street plays, dialogues and organise several other initiatives to educate girls about their rights and the various laws that exist,” an LU source informed HT.