ADILABAD: While a software developer job at Infosys was what Sandhya from Soan mandal had once dreamt of, the long hours and sedentary lifestyle soon left her disillusioned. Many IT professionals speak of low job satisfaction, while women often voice the perennial grievance of limited opportunities. For Sandhya, who disliked her corporate role, and for Shahano Bano, a woman once paralysed by fear of the world around her, the ‘Nari Shakti’ initiative — the brainchild of Superintendent of Police (SP) G Janaki Sharmila — has shown that true independence lies not in fear, but in fearless service.
The all-women ‘Nari Shakti’ police team has emerged as a vital force in Nirmal district. Once a month, the officers visit Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) schools, spending a full day with the students — listening to their concerns, encouraging them to dream big and instilling the confidence to pursue those dreams.
Their work extends beyond schools. The initiative has taken up the fight against ganja cultivation and drug abuse, with women constables patrolling vulnerable areas, creating awareness among the youth and sensitising communities about the dangers of narcotics. SP Sharmila has urged them to take personal responsibility for eradicating ganja-related activities in their jurisdictions. Under ‘Mission Ganja Patrol’, participating officers have been equipped with badges, bags and T-shirts as symbols of their commitment.
Sandhya’s transformation is among the most striking. Once a software professional at Infosys, she now wears her police uniform with pride, trading corporate titles for the badge of service. Inspired by Nari Shakti, she recalls how people began calling her ‘Police Sister’, a title that gives her more satisfaction than any tech role ever could. “As a BTech graduate, I once thought I would return to the software sector. But the respect and encouragement I receive now are unmatched. Whenever I’m on patrol or helping someone in an emergency, I feel a renewed sense of purpose. The police uniform is better than any corporate title,” she tells TNIE.
For Shahano Bano, a woman constable, the change has been just as profound. “I used to have a lot of fear. But because of Nari Shakti, that fear has gone. Even when I’m in plain clothes, people recognise me as a police officer, and that makes me proud,” she says.
Constable Shivani from Nirmal remembers her first day on duty under the initiative as the moment that tested her courage the most. “I got a Dial 100 call about a suicide attempt. I was scared and didn’t know how to react. When I reached, the woman had locked herself inside, threatening us with glass bottles. I broke the door, calmed her down and saved her life. That day, I shed my fear completely and embraced my role as a real policewoman,” she recalls.
In just six months, these ‘police sisters’ have blended school outreach with frontline policing, proving that Nari Shakti is far more than a name; it is a movement, one they believe should continue for years to come.