‘How’s the Josh’ exclaim BU girls at self-defence camp

A self-defence training session was organised for the girl students of Bennett University on Monday. The session was organised by the School of Management in collaboration with Bennett University’s Women Development Cell in association with the BMA Academy (Bodhicitta Mindfulness Academy) under the guidance of UP Police. The training session was held at the Indoor Basketball Court at the sports complex of the university.

“This is perhaps the most required event for any girl today, not only girls but everybody. To be anywhere in this world, safety and security is important,” said Dr. Nilanjan Chattopadhyay, Dean, School of Management. Self-defence training is a vital life skill that prepares women for the unexpected. By learning techniques to fend off attackers, individuals are better prepared to handle potentially dangerous situations and defend themselves if necessary. “Self-defence to me is not only protecting myself, but also about being aware and prepared for the most unexpected situations,” said Shreya Singh, a 1^st year film student at Bennett University, after the training session.

Nearly 80 girl students turned up for the training session. The lamp was lit by Dr. Gauri Chakraborty, Dr. Sandhya Rai and the trainers of the academy to mark the beginning of the event. This was followed by a series of warm-up exercises performed by the volunteers under the guidance of the trainers. The students were very excited and thrilled about the programme. “I am just excited to learn some new punches and have fun,” said Panya Jain, a 1^st year journalism student, when asked about the expectations of the students from the session.

“Workshops like these ensure that women who come from diverse groups are able to understand their bodies and gain self-confidence,” said Dr Gauri Chakraborty, Chairman of the University Women Development Cell. She further spoke about how girls' participation nowadays in public spaces can largely be influenced by these self-defence workshops. Girls need to be agile with their response to any attacks or harms. Self-defence trainings introduce the thought of understanding how one can respond immediately.