Friday, 04 October 2024
Friday, 04 October 2024
The rape-murder of the 31-year-old trainee doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital has brought the issue of women’s safety to the forefront for many Durga Puja committees in Calcutta and has led to them to form a team of volunteers to safeguard women during the festive days.
These Puja committees – Kashi Bose Lane, Badamtala Ashar Sangha, Falguni Sangha, Ekbalpore Sarbojanin, and 66 Pally- have joined hands with a travel company called The Greatest Show on Earth (GSOE) for the initiative.
Each of these pandals will have a team of at least five volunteers, known as the Tilottama Durga Team. These teams will act as first responders to assist women in need to ensure that the pandals remain safe spaces during the festivities.
The GSOE was started in 2018. It is led by co-founders Dr Arnab Basu and Bodhisattva Banerjee in collaboration with Gouri, an NGO that works against sexual violence.
“The volunteers will be trained to handle emergency situations, respond quickly to any threats or incidents of sexual violence and provide on-ground support for women in need,” Banerjee told The Telegraph Online.
“This team will be stationed at each pandal to maintain a constant vigil, ensuring that the festival remains a safe space for everyone, particularly women.”
These Tilottama committees are more than just a temporary solution for the festival, the company said.
“The committees’ core initiative, Shakti Rupena, focuses on training women in self-defence, creating a strong support network, conducting research on women's safety issues, and advocating for legislative changes,” Basu told The Telegraph Online.
This initiative is backed by funds from the GSOE, the company officials said. The funds will go toward training women in self-defence, organising awareness campaigns and working towards legislative reforms for better protection, the organisation said.
