Bengal girls shun make-up boxes for boxing gloves

By Arka Mondal

Kolkata: With the number of cases of eve-teasing and molestation escalating in West Bengal, time has come for the girls to banish their make-up kits and take up training in self defense. Girls from Kolkata say, police have failed to curb the situation and the law enforcers provide little assistance when they visit police station to file a complaint. In such a scenario, with a battered mental ego, the girls are forced to suffer severe mental trauma. But with more and more girls expressing their guts in public and thrashing the eve-teasers in broad daylight, a message is definitely sent to the hooligans that Bong girls are gradually transforming into Bond girls.

The recent incident in Madhyamgram, where a 16-year old girl literally battered two molesters had sent ripples across West Bengal. The incident had instilled a sense of confidence among the girls who are ready to lead a fight back if they are confronted by molesters. With the administration compromising with the security and well being of the girls, they themselves are learning "a chisel fist to the nose, firm wrist lock, flying kick and a zombie choke around the neck."

Various forms of martial arts like karate, taekwondo, aikido, kickboxing and wushu are becoming familiar in Kolkata. Girls who enroll for the training say, learning the martial art is a precautionary measure. The art does not make them aggressive but strengthens their mind set. It teaches them to deal with the romeos who are ready to pounce on them. The training in martial arts gives the cornered girls a scope to fight back.

Nikita Singh, a 16-year girl who trains in kickboxing, said, she was tormented in broad daylight near Minto Park crossing. But it took a few minutes to pay the molesters in their own coffers. She overpowered the man and dragged him by collar to a nearby Police kiosk. Nikita said, the training is not about the moves or jibes but it gave her the confidence to walk up to the tormentor and confront him face to face.

Speaking on the issue, trainers say, most of the girls who take up the classes have faced harassment on the road, locality or in public transport. So the first step of the training is to give them a sense of security. The initial training is to calm one's mind, get composed and acquire mental strength.

With a calm and composed mind set and a variety of techniques in fighting, the girls are ever-ready now to strike back and pin-down the eve-teasers. So don't be surprised to find boys running for cover or getting thrashed publicly by a single girl.