‘Action to be taken against people who are threat to women security’: Yogi Adityanath

“Earlier, there used to be no such incidents as there was a belief in village that “gaon ki beti, sabki beti” ( a daughter of the village is daughter of everyone). Aaj hum log kahan ja rahe hain? Kyun gaon ki beti ke sath gaon mein hi atyachar ho raha hai… yeh prashna ek sabhya samaj ke saamne ek challenge hai aur is chunauti ko hum sabko sweekar karna hoga (Where are we going today? Why atrocities are being committed on daughters of the village in the village? This question poses a challenge to our society, and everyone has to accept this challenge),” Adityanath said.

The Chief Minister also praised a woman gram pradhan from Barabanki district for her efforts in sensitising youths in her village about women safety.

“We hold a meeting every week to ensure that boys and men participate actively. They are made to feel that they also share equal responsibility towards dignity and safety of women and girls,” Mahzabeen, the gram pradhan, told the Chief Minister.

Appreciating her work, the Chief Minister said that such moves should be encouraged and called for installing CCTV cameras and playing bhajans and patriotic songs every morning and evening on public address systems in the villages.

Without directly referring to any of the recent incidents of rape and murder, Adityanath said Education Department has been told to start a programme to link “shiksha” (education) with “sanskar” (good culture) as part of the Mission Shakti campaign that was launched on Saturday.

“In the first phase of the Mission Shakti programme, we are going to spread awareness on women safety. In the second phase, legal action will be taken, and in the third phase, we will launch massive action against two kinds of people — one who are a threat to the security of women and those who are promoting widescale corruption in the schemes meant for the welfare of women,” the Chief Minister added.

‘Green Gang’ to help govt in Mission Shakti

The ‘Green Gang’, which had started a widespread campaign against alcoholism in the Purvanchal, will now help the state government in ensuring a safe environment for women under Mission Shakti, launched by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday.

A government statement said to aid Mission Shakti, Green Gang members will reach out to more than 200 villages in Varanasi, Sonbhadra, Mirzapur, Jaunpur, Chandauli and Ayodhya and ensure that eve-teasers face action.

Established by the Hope Welfare Trust that was set up by students of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) with the support of some professors, the Green Gang will train girls and women in self-defence and boost their confidence by making them familiar with the laws and the steps taken by the government.

Divyanshu Upadhyay, founder and secretary of Hope Welfare Trust, said the women connected with the Green Gang, identified by their green saaris, are running campaigns against alcoholism and gambling in more than 150 villages. The group has already started self-defence training in 10 Naxal-hit villages of the state.