Cops constitute ‘Gulabi’ gang in villages to tackle social evils
The gang, comprising housewives as its members, will act as social crusaders in villages where men, who are into social vices, end up targeting women.
In an innovative strategy to check social evils such as gambling, alcohol addiction and domestic violence, the state police has constituted as many as 40 ‘Gulabi gangs’, comprising housewives as its members.
The gang members will act as social crusaders in villages where men, who are into social vices, end up targeting women.
Each of the 40 Gulabi gangs will work in equal number of villages under nine police stations, including Rohania, Jansa and Sevapuri. Each gang has 15 members.
The cops have provided a pink coloured saree each to the members and have also trained them in ways to maintain law and order and how to combat social evils with the help of cops.
Circle officer Sneha Tiwari, a 2012 batch PPS officer, said, “Pink colour is symbol of unity. Pink is the colour which women supposedly like the most. That’s why we chose the colour as their uniform. The pink crusaders will help cops in maintaining law and order. Simultaneously, they will fight against social evils like alcohol addiction, gambling and domestic violence.”
She advised the ‘Gulabi’ gang members not to take law in their hands in any case and inform police as soon as they get to know about any such incident.
The idea for the project germinated during a protest by rural women at liquor shops. In some of the demonstrations, the women became violent and barged into the shops and threw away the bottles on the streets.
Superintendent of police (rural area) Ashish Tiwari and CO Sneha held meetings with rural women in rural pockets with the help of village heads, taught them ways to register their complaint in a legal way. During interaction, some women expressed the will to work as a group. Consequently, the two officers gave a thought to the idea and formed the Gulabi gangs.
Dhanvasi Devi, member of Gulabi Gang Dhandorpur, is delighted over being part of the gang. She hopes that she along with the members will be able to do away with the alcoholism in rural pockets around her villages. She said that liquor should be banned since it breaks families.
She claims as soon as she gets information about any such activity, she talks to circle officer Sneha Tiwari and police reach the spot soon. Tiwari said, the Gulabi Gang members will be given ‘police mitra’ cards in a week.
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