Pink Brigade-The Girl Power

                                                           Bikash Choudhury

There is a small change on the streets of Bhubaneswar; not many would have noticed that the Traffic Police men now wield an illuminated stick after sunsets at the traffic signals and junctions. This was the brainchild of our Bhubaneswar city DCP Nitinjit Singh, a tall fare and hand some guy with turban on the top. Commissioner of Police does many things; some pleasant and some not so pleasant; but, the introduction of illuminated stick at the dark traffic junction is helping the commuters and would help the traffic management after dark. Often repeated quote; give credit wherever it is due. I thought initially, the case of Delhi girl would go the same way as scores of cases before; but, this time the boys and girls from the campus did neither forget nor forgive the assailants or the incident; so do the media. And, quickly Govt. commissioned a three member judicial commission to suggest changes in the law pertaining to atrocities against women in a month’s time. Many other steps being taken at the level of central Govt. and also at the level of State Government. Irony is since 16^th December 2012 many more cases of rape and molestation of women have been reported from across the country; though, we need tougher law on the subject as soon as possible; then, we should also concede that the problem is much more complex and it is now the question of an embedded mindset inside the recesses of some men and that require a psychological shock therapy. And, therefore I suggest to the girls of Bhubaneswar city to start a gang of “Pink Brigade” to show the Girl Power to those who need the most in partnership with Police Commissioner. The Idea is College Students with a back ground in Marital Arts can form a team in each locality of the city to monitor the tormentors of girls at public places and public transport and to offer non-violent street justice within the four corners of the law of the land (An eve teaser can be saved off and painted black with a garland of old shoes a few slaps from tough girls) would send very good signal to the general public and there are chances this would help substantially reduce the incidents against women in the city; as this is supposed to work inside the minds of potential offenders. If this exercise were successful with collaboration and co-operation of Bhubaneswar Police and Girl Power; then, that could be extended to other cities and towns in the State. Do we have Girl Power in the city or is it limited to the FM radio?