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| Gram Raksha Dal members in Rohtas. Picture by Sanjay Choudhary |
Patna, March 5: Reposing faith in women power, Rohtas police have involved female members of Nadh village, about 8km south of the district headquarters Sasaram, in night patrol to tame Naxalites.
Inducting 20 women from Nadh and its adjacent village Rampur Chaud as Gram Raksha Dal members to conduct patrol at night, the district police have provided them with cellphones, torches and batons (mostly used by policemen) for protection. The female villagers started maintaining vigil at Nadh, a den of rebels under Badi police station, from last night in shifts. They would start patrolling Rampur Chaud shortly.
The cellphones provided to the women have the numbers of the station house officer, circle inspector, deputy superintendent of police and the superintendent of police concerned. Sources said the police decided to involve women in their fight against rebels because the Naxalites do not harm females in principle.
“The women will keep a close tab on the activities of the Maoists as well as hardcore criminals, who most of the time take shelter in remote villages after committing crime in urban areas,” said Rohtas superintendent of police (SP) Manu Maharaj.
He said the members would also gather information about the illicit liquor manufacturers and the people involved in its trade. “Women, who are now part of the Gram Raksha Dal, had registered strong protest against the sale of illicit liquor,” Maharaj said.
“They (female Gram Raksha Dal members) have been imparted training on how to protect themselves during rebel or criminal attacks,” the SP told The Telegraph over phone. He said the female members of Gram Raksha Dal could detain criminals and hand them over to the police.
The new initiative of the police has emboldened the residents to fight against the extremists.
Mukhiya (village head) of Badi Panchayat Sunita Devi said it was a campaign against the Maoists, criminals and daruwaj (drunkards), who have made life of rural women virtually a hell.