Judith
Fernandes (name changed to protect identity) lives on her own in Taleigao.
Judith’s husband is one of the many Goan youngsters who earn their living by
toiling endlessly on a cruise liner. When her husband is away, a cautious
Judith lives by herself. Judith says, “Being in a place like Goa where you have
neighbours that you can rely on, living alone becomes relatively easier. Having
said that, you cannot let your guard down for a minute. With the amount of
violence happening in other parts of the country, it is only a matter of time
till Goa is contracted with this social disease on a larger scale than what is
happening now. Keeping ourselves safe is a duty that we have to do ourselves;
you cannot be dependent on others for your safety anymore.”
When asked
about this, Deputy Superintendent of Police Sunita Sawant said, “Self defence
is necessary in one’s life and so also daily physical fitness. A minimum of
half an hour should be spent on workout, on the ground doing exercises.
Similarly, self defence classes should be mandatory at school level. For
example, every week, one dedicated physical education class should be held for
the students so that they learn it from an early age. This will boost their
physical as well as mental strength. The first step towards protection is to
raise an alarm and attract attention of the public to tackle a dangerous
situation. Calling the police control room is the next step. Nonetheless, self
defence, especially for girls, has become an utmost necessity.”
While
Judith may not be relying completely on the armed forces to protect her,
unfortunately she is not the only one to be thinking so. With the amount of
sexual violence and crimes against women happening at a scary rate, it is of
paramount importance for women to be equipped with self-defence techniques
which may be used to protect themselves when in a challenging situation. As
such, a majority of women are now joining self-defence technique courses around
the state.
One of the
most experienced and senior sensei in Goa, Sensei Joseph Rodrigues, has been
training men and women in martial arts and empowering them with self-defence
techniques. Currently, sensei Joseph’s regular classes have about 40 per cent
women training in martial arts. Sensei Joseph says, “Given today’s
circumstances, and the fact that there are many working class women, ladies
have an additional burden of protecting themselves. Considering the amount of
violence on the streets in India and in Goa, it is important that not only
ladies but everyone should undergo at least a basic self defence course.
Self-defence techniques should be made compulsory in every school where one can
learn how to look after themselves in extreme situations. There are few
self-defence techniques that are really easy to pick up and you never know,
this knowledge might prove to be a life saver.”
