NEW DELHI: Angels are soon going to descend on Uttar Pradesh! With the slogan ‘do not tolerate, do not ignore,’ these ‘Power Angels,’ appointed by their educational institutions, will volunteer to ensure the safety of women and girls under a UP Police initiative.
After a pilot project in Lucknow received good response, the state police are now planning to spread it across the state. The government will recruit around one lakh female Special Police Officers (SPO) as Power Angels to work for women safety and make them feel that they do not stand alone in their fight for freedom and rights. The Power Angels will also counsel women in distress.
“These Special Police Officers will work as honorary or unpaid volunteers and will be awarded a certificate for their services. If the administration finds the work of a volunteer really exceptional, that particular Angel will be given a recommendation letter and, maybe, a prize as well,” said Navneet Sikera, Inspector General (Women Cell), UP Police.
After the Akhilesh Yadav Government mooted a proposal in this regard, the police launched special programmes in schools and colleges as part of recruitment.
Those who are interested, have to fill necessary forms which are available with the colleges and the administration.
In 2013, Lucknow Police had trained five college girls vis-a-vis as Power Angels to tackle eve-teasing and harassment.
Richa Singh, the first Angel appointed, told Express, “I myself is a victim of eve-teasing hence wanted to help... I also want to counsel young girls so that when my daughter grows up, she does not suffer what I had suffered.”
Complaint-related work will be done through the women helpline number 1090. The Angels will be armed with ID cards so that the police do not reject their complaints.
The police have sent one lakh forms to around 12,000 schools and colleges across the state, and they have got 16,000 recommendations for the job from various institutions, so far.
The Angels will be recommended by the college principals, and there would also be a teacher in the college who would be appointed as an associate officer, called Mother Angel, who will directly be in contact with the police.
Only those who have studied Class X and above are eligible to apply. In each class, 10 per cent of the total strength would be selected for the purpose. For example, if there are 40 girls in a class, four would be selected to be Power Angels.
The ID cards, to be provided to the Angels, will have different validation periods. The validity of the ID cards of a Class X qualified girl is five years while three and two years will be the validity for Class XII pass, and post-graduate and above.
“Today, girls want to live their life freely and don’t want to be bogged down by the binding traditions which were brought down from her mother’s generation to her. This concept will change as the new project will educate girls about the worthlessness of these social stigmas. So, when they grow up, they do not create gender bias in the society.
Secondly, they will help us keep a watchful eye on the college to keep the environment safe and secure,” said Sikera.
The new system is expected to help the women and girls in a positive way. “It is a huge responsibility as people come to you for solutions. For me, the biggest achievement is that my self-respect has increased as I am able to help someone in need,” Singh added.
Principal of a girls’ college said: “In the changing socio-economic scenario, girls want to live in their own way. This, perhaps, is a challenge to the male-dominated world and sometimes it leads to offences against them,” she added.