KOCHI: Some friendships last a lifetime. This is true in the case of the more than 300 women police officers who donned khaki way back in 2004. The friendship formed on the parade ground of the police training academy continues to hold these police officers together in more than one way.
The lady cops - who joined the force on October 6, 2004 - have been meeting up every year on the same date. But these get-togethers are not the usual all-fun occasions. They have turned their meet-ups into something meaningful. This group of batchmates also engages in charity work.
G Poonguzhali, Assistant Inspector General of Police Coastal Security (AIG), tells TNIE, “These women police officers who started as CPOs are all now assistant sub-inspectors. What makes these lady cops stand out is that they have joined hands to come to the aid of many people. Be it financial help for education or treatment, these cops of the 2004 batch close ranks and come to the aid of the person in need.”
These get-togethers help them relive memories, she adds. “In a way, it is good to meet up with friends. These reunions act as pressure relievers. There are many things we are unable to share with our family members. But those can be easily shared with friends who understand what you are going through as they are working in the same field. It is like batchmates helping out batchmates,” says Poonguzhali.
Explaining more about the reunions, Kala B V, an assistant sub-inspector posted at the Thiruvananthapuram airport’s immigration section, says, “Until last year, we met up in the respective districts where we were posted. For example, those belonging to the 2004 batch posted in Thiruvananthapuram met up in the district itself. However, this year we decided to make the programme statewide.”
The reason was the upcoming retirement of three of their batchmates, in 2025.
“Since the first retirement is going to happen in May, and it doesn’t coincide with our usual reunion date, we decided to host the statewide event at Bolgatty. We honoured three of those who will be retiring in the function,” says Kala.
According to her, they have been helping the needy right from the start of the reunion.
“Some years back, we met up at the Central Institute on Mental Retardation (CIMR) at Thiruvananthapuram. We spent time with the inmates there and also handed over the materials needed for the children at the institute,” she adds.
Their work isn’t limited to institutions. “Our charity work is never pre-planned. Our help extends to anyone who comes before us. We have come together to help out people whom we come across at the police stations where we are posted. After enquiring about their situation, we decide on the course of action,” says the ASI.
The amount varies. Besides outsiders, their fellow batchmates too have been beneficiaries. Kala highlights the case of a batchmate who passed away leaving behind two daughters.
“We opened a Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) account for one of her daughters and began paying the premium. We started it five years ago. Now the child is 18, so we decided to pay the premium in a bulk amount. The amount will be beneficial for her education,” she adds.
According to her, they are not an association. “We are just batchmates who keep in touch with each other doing something meaningful while reinforcing our friendship. We will continue to have these reunions even after we retire,” says Kala, adding that by 2034 everyone in the 2004 batch will retire from service.