PU students demonstrate martial arts at PU on Thursday. (Express Photo)
AS MANY as 100 students have been professionally training in wushu, a Chinese martial art and full-contact sport, on the Panjab University campus for some years now. But, it is only now that all the girl students at the varsity will have the opportunity to learn various techniques of the sport, popular in universities, colleges and schools, for self-defence.
An initiative by Joint Secretary Karanbir Randhawa, the Panjab University Students’ Council, inaugurated self-defence classes for girls at PU on International Women’s Day. The student body said the response was overwhelming as 450 girls had already enrolled for the classes, which would be available for free throughout the week, beginning on Friday.
Randhawa said, “I hope this initiative bears fruit. Everybody talks about women’s protection, but it is not implemented. So, through this, we have tried to implement it practically and hope the girls benefit from these classes.”
Coaches Umesh Kumar and Usha Yadav of the Department of Sports will teach simple moves such as kicking, punching and throwing. They, along with six wushu players of the varsity, demonstrated three techniques to defend when attacked.
Umesh said, “Most coaches show you the moves, but they don’t show how they can be used. So, we will demonstrate what moves you can use when, say, someone pulls your hair or grabs your hand.” Wushu, he added, was already practised as a sport at many educational institutions, but its popularity as a self-defence art has only surfaced now. “It’s also an inexpensive and open sport that is not dictated by a belt of any colour. It’s simple, straightforward and for practical use,” he further stated.
One of the wushu players, Gurleen Kaur, has won numerous accolades at university and national levels. She was felicitated at the inauguration ceremony by Professor Ameer Sultana, Chairperson, Department of Women’s Studies. “Wushu is a combination of all games and all the techniques used in other martial arts can be used in this freely. It also makes you physically and mentally stronger and has vast employment opportunities,” she said. Gurleen is a student of MA in public administration and has applied to join the CRPF.
Another student from Ladakh, Chesmat Dolkar, has recently won a gold medal at an inter-university event. “I’ve been learning for the past four to five months and it has helped me become more fit.”
‘We are not items, we are human beings’
Criticising the item songs that were playing at Student Centre, Professor Sultana said, “Why do girls dance on these songs and that, too, on a day celebrating womanhood and women’s freedom? It’s ridiculous to compare women to alcohol or cars.”
Addressing students at the inauguration of self-defence classes at the Law Auditorium, she said we were responsible for promoting violence against women. “Raising your voice at the first instance of harassment is necessary and to get that confidence, we must be skilled to protect ourselves,” the professor pointed out.
Vani Sood, Secretary, PUCSC, said, “We want students to be self-sufficient. This will not only prevent eve-teasing on the campus, but will also help them be more aware of domestic violence and other crimes against women.”
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