They float like a butterfly, sting like a wasp

They float like a butterfly, sting like a wasp
by Jupinderjit Singh

Bathinda police’s WASPS model against eve-teasing and other crimes is being emulated by various districts and neighbouring states. With armed women constables watching over them, girls are beginning to feel safer.

Trained in unarmed combat, WASPS constables are equipped with a 0.38 revolver, baton, pepper spray and handcuffs.
Trained in unarmed combat, WASPS constables are equipped with a 0.38 revolver, baton, pepper spray and handcuffs. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma

Heena Singla walks with a confident gait towards the exit gate of the Government College for Girls, Bathinda. Unlike other days, she has no fear of eve-teasers. For, her didi is there to protect her. Heena sees her from a distance, flashes a smile and stands next to her, daring any roadside Romeo to pass a comment.

The didi is Ravinder Kaur, one of the 25 women constables of the unique Women Armed Special Protection Squad (WASPS) of the Bathinda police. She and another constable, Veerpal Kaur — an MA, MPhil in physical education — are deployed for the safety of students.

Every day from 8 am to 5 pm, they keep an eye on eve-teasers around the college and other places during their beat on a two-wheeler provided by the police. Dressed in a blue uniform, they are well armed too. Apart from a .38 revolver, they have a pepper spray, handcuffs and a baton. They have been trained in unarmed combat as well. As the acronym WASPS (yellow bee) suggests, the squad roams around and swoops down suddenly on the culprit, prepared to sting him hard if the need arises.

Others follow

Introduced by the Bathinda police in January this year, WASPS has caught the fancy of the state government and also the neighbhouring states. Last week, the Deputy Chief Minister flagged off similar squads for Mansa, Muktsar, Fazilka, Abohar, Faridkot and Ferozepur. More such squads would be introduced in the entire state.

Even Haryana will have similar squads. Early this month, the Punjab and Haryana High Court asked the Haryana Police to introduce the same model of women policing in the state. Some police officers from Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh have also evinced interest.

Apart from checking eve-teasing and crime against women, the squads have become counsellors for young girls, who share their personal lives with them and seek their advice. Some school and college managements have even asked the WASPS to give a talk to the girls.

Bathinda SSP Ravcharan Singh Brar says, “In the wake of the Delhi gangrape incident, we intended to provide a force exclusively for preventing crime against women in the city. The idea of WASPS came up and trained women constables were chosen for the job. Now, they have become counsellors also as girls seek their guidance in personal matters.”

The first group of 25 constables was divided into 10 teams of two members each. Five were kept in the reserve squad. The teams patrolled the city, which was divided into 10 beats. They have been asked to focus on women colleges, bus stands and railway stations. “The squads were an instant hit. They were attached to the special women helpline numbers. The WASPS rush to the aid of any woman in distress,” says Nirmal Singh Dhillon, IG, Bathinda Zone.

Alka Meena, ASP City-II, says the greatest achievement of the WASPS has been that incidents of eve-teasing are down and it has instilled a sense of security and confidence among women. The squad is basically for urban policing, but demands for introducing it in rural or semi-urban areas are coming up.

“We plan to introduce such squads in semi-urban areas like Talwandi Sabo and Rampura Phul. Many women constables belong to villages and often travel by buses. Besides offering security to women passengers, the WASPS attracts girls for a police job,” the SSP says.

With a salary of around Rs 27,000, it is one of the “better educated” squads of the police. “Most of us either have a master’s degree in a subject or are pursuing it. This gives us a good base to interact with girls and gain their faith,” says Rajwinder Kaur, a member of the squad.

“Apart from responding to SOS calls through the woman helpline (0164-2215020) and ‘100’, the squad gets direct complaints also,” says DSP Avneet Sidhu, who along with ASP Alka Meena imparts daily briefing and training to the squad.

Lesson to remember

Stalking is one of the most common complaints the squad receives daily. “We receive complaints of middle-aged or aged men trying to act smart with girls in a bus. There were some incidents of harassment at work place. Generally, women employees want the matter to be resolved and don’t want to make it an issue or involve their parents,” says DSP Avneet Sidhu.

“We have resolved many cases where men were stalking girls after their relationship ended. Boys in their late teens or early 20s are involved in eve-teasing. Most of them are addicts or school and college dropouts,” says Rajwinder Kaur.

And what do they do when they confront one? “We tell him politely he is committing a crime. If he doesn’t apologise and promise not to repeat it, we hand him over to senior officials to take necessary action,” says Veerpal Kaur.

What if a man or a group of boys becomes offensive? “We know how to defend ourselves. The culprit gets it back there and then. But we haven’t used much force so far,” says Ravinder Kaur.