A CALL FOR SELF DEFENSE

The offenses against humanity are increasing day by day. The cruel acts against the common man by the anti social elements pose a great threat to the freedom of movement of the people. Action needs to be taken at the earliest as it is the violation of the basic human right as well constitutionally granted fundamental rights. Despite all the hue and cry made by human right activists and other social activists, the toll on humanity continues.
As in many other cases, here also the most affected are the womenfolk. These anti-social elements restrict the movement of the women. They cannot move freely even during the daytime. The vultures are waiting with their cruel nails to rip apart the poor womenfolk. The attitude of the society towards such crimes is yet another disappointing factor. Due to the fear of being involved in such issues even as an eye witness, the people do not interfere. This in turn indicates the lack of civic awareness among the people. Moreover, this also elaborates the fact that personal interests dominate social interests. The refraining nature of the public could also be attributed to the complexity of the law which may turn the witness into the culprit. Now the question arises as to who is to be blamed?
Prior to finding an answer to this question, the more immediate answer must be sought for the following question: what ought to be done? So as to ensure protection to the womenfolk as well as the men, the only panacea is self defense. ‘Self defense is the best defense’. The government must take a policy to make martial arts a part of the school curriculum. This will equip the future generation to face the adverse situations into which they are to step in. It not only ensures the physical health and development of the students but also the mental fitness. By the regular practice of martial arts they get the boldness to face most difficult situations in life as also they improve on their concentration skills.
This will also have a twin advantage. The traditional martial arts of the respective states, which face the threat of being extinct soon, will get an opportunity to be popularized, especially among the younger generation. Moreover, with the guarantee of an employment in the schools, people will be interested to pursue learning the martial arts and take up its study seriously.
For those states where trainers are not available for the regional martial arts, more popular versions like the karate or judo could be adopted. The Union Human Resource Ministry must recognize the importance of self defense and take necessary steps to implement the above said plan, in collaboration with the state governments. This will definitely pave wave for a better and safer life for the future generation.