NEW DELHI:
Delhi Police has started holding interactive sessions with
freshers at Delhi University colleges. The first such session was conducted at Jesus and Mary
College in Chanakyapuri on Wednesday.
The session aimed to spread awareness about the different applications launched by the police, to curb crimes against women, and to also reassure the newcomers that they are being guarded by the police round the clock. The police also tried to dispel wrong notions that outstation students have about them.
“I always wanted to be in a DU college and got admission here with two of my friends. We were always told that Delhi Police does not care about the people, but I got to see a totally different side to them today. With all the efforts they have taken for the safety of women, I am sure there is someone I can fall back on in case of an emergency,” said Shreya, who belongs to a northeastern state.
Police promoted the Himmat Plus application and urged all students to install it, calling it a utility. “We have been encouraging the students to install this application so that we can always know about an emergency situation at the earliest. We want the students to know that the police are here to ensure they are safe,” said joint CP (New Delhi) Ajay Chaudhry.
“I appreciate that the policemen have reached out to us like this as it builds confidence. This is not only beneficial for students like us but also for the police’s image,” said Sanjana.
DCP (New Delhi) Madhur Verma elaborated on the police’s schemes and their positive impact.
Officials said such awareness programmes help bring permanent and positive changes in the society’s attitude towards women.
“We want to make sure that the students feel safe, and so we will take this exercise to other colleges too. We will ensure that our staff are in touch with students and make regular visits there,” said a senior police officer.
The interaction was followed by a play on crimes against women by a theatre group named Asmita. It was very well received.
