Bengal: Girls Take Charge of Own Safety in Jangal Mahal

Schoolgirls, college students, and housewives in the Jangalmahal area have begun training in karate, judo, and boxing for self-defence, choosing to take their survival into their own hands.

"Girls must protect themselves, as the administration has repeatedly failed to safeguard the common people. When citizens are affected, the administration often evades responsibility through various tactics, eventually siding with the perpetrators. Recent incidents, including the brutal murder of a medical student from R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, as well as several events across Bengal, particularly in the Jangal Mahal region, have opened our eyes to the shortcomings of the administration”, said Pratip Mukherjee, former professor of Bankura Sammilani College.

On September 29, Mukherjee had come to Kelapathar village to attend a self-defence training camp of Jangalmahal’s girls students and housewives as a guest.   

This is the first such initiative in West Bengal supported by an organisation called the 'Jangalmahal Aatmaraksha Samannoy', which includes residents from Bankura, Purulia, and Jhargram districts.

The self-defence training camp was inaugurated on September 29 at the Shaheed Khudiram Bose Madhyamik Siksha Kendra in Kelapathar village, 230 kilometers west of Kolkata, under the Ranibandh Block of Bankura district in Jangalmahal.

The event saw the participation of thousands of people, with over 600 female students and several housewives enrolling for training in self-defence training. More girls from neighbouring villages are joining the programme now, encouraged by their teachers and parents.

Why Are Girl Students so Keen on Self-Defence?

The areas of Ranibandh, Raipur, and Sarenga in Bankura, along with Belpahari and Banspahari in Jhargram, and Bankura and Manbazar in Purulia, are surrounded by dense forests and hills. Due to the geography, the distance between the villages is significant, and students often have to walk or cycle long distances to attend school, college, private tuition, or markets.

Girls students of Jangalmahal Ranobandh enrolling for the self-defense camp.

In addition, many female labourers in the region venture into the forest almost daily to collect leaves, branches, and Kendu leaves (used for making bidis) for their livelihood.

These women not only face threats from wild animals but also constant fear of physical assault from known and unknown miscreants, as they navigate through isolated forest paths and desolate hills to reach their destinations.

The people of Jangalmahal have endured a long history of violent attacks. In the 1980s and 1990s, many villagers were victims of violence perpetrated by miscreants from neighbouring Jharkhand. In the following decades, 568 people were killed by Maoists in the districts of Bankura, Jhargram, Purulia, and Paschim Medinipur. Additionally, 256 people are still missing, their fate unknown. Families, such as that of Chunibala Sardar of Sarenga, continue to live in hope.

Aarati Majhi, whose husband Rampada Majhi was allegedly murdered by Maoist militants, recalls the horror. “On February 22, 2002, in the middle of the night, Maoists attacked our dilapidated mud house in Bethoyala village of Ranibandh. They dragged my husband and me into the forest, where they murdered him in front of me and left me half-dead,” she said.

Many women in these areas recalled having have witnessed their relatives being taken away or killed during these tragic times.

 Archana Saren, a post-graduate student who registered for the self-defence training camp, said, "We haven't forgotten those tragic, bloody days. Even as children, we could hear the sound of gunfire at night from neighbouring villages and the cries of those who lost their loved ones."

Anita Mahato, a second-year under-graduate student, also  expressed concerns about the present situation: "The post-graduate medical student, Tilottama, whom we considered like an elder sister, was brutally murdered on the premises of R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital. What did we see after that? The state administration seems more concerned with protecting those responsible than delivering justice. People across Bengal, and even in other parts of the country and abroad, are protesting daily for justice. If the administration had acted properly, would people still be sleepless at night, fighting for justice?"

Several girls in the Jangalmahal region organised protest rallies from village to village, demanding justice for the R.G. Kar victim.

“We held torch processions in the forest villages. Every time, the police tried to stop us, which made it clear who they were trying to protect. That’s when we decided to take our security into our own hands because the administration won’t provide it,” said Namita Sardar, a 12th-grade student from Ranibandh.

The girls who attended the workshop also said they were asking their friends and relatives in other Jangalmahal districts to start their own self-defence training camps.

Girls students, housewives and others at the opening ceremony of the self- defense camp at Kelapathar village, Ranibandh.

Madhu Sudan Mahato, convener of the Jangalmahal Aatmaraksha Samannoy and a social worker from Ranibandh, explained the reason behind starting the training camps.

“Seeing the increasing interest in self-defence among girl students from different villages, we decided to establish these camps. Women and girls in Jangalmahal risk their lives daily. Whether they’re sick or need basic services, they often have to cross dangerous forests and hills. The situation has become so dire that fear dominates their lives,” he said.

Mahato mentioned two recent incidents in which female students from Bandwan in Purulia and Raipur’s Fulkusma were tortured and killed.

"The administration did not take proper action against the culprits, which has only heightened a sense of fear in the area. People are turning to self-defence as a means of protecting themselves," he added.

Moni Mahato, a CPI(M) elected member of the Rajakata Gram Panchayat under Ranibandh Block, emphasised the importance of community support for this initiative.

“The people of Jangalmahal must come together to support this self-defence movement. On the inauguration day, we hired vehicles at our own expense to bring people to Kelapathar village. All the school headmasters and mistresses are supporting this initiative,” he said.

Paresh Majhi, headmaster of Kelapathar School, who was present at the inauguration of the camp, noted that boys and housewives also registered for karate, judo and boxing training.

The camp was inaugurated by Md. Naosad Alam, the All-India Joint Secretary of Kickboxing. State karate trainers AnnapAuli from Khatra, Bankura, and Sankar Thapa from Jhargram conducted demonstrations at the event. Chirosree Mahato, who won first place in the state boxing competition this year, also attended with her instructor, Dibakar Shil.

Madhu Sudan Mahato, convenor of Jangalmahal Aatmaroksha Samonway.

The training camp will be held free of cost every Sunday at Kelapathar School. Trainers have confirmed that all necessary self-defence techniques, including karate, judo, and boxing, will be taught. Within a few months, these girls will gain the strength and confidence to protect themselves, they added.

When asked if the time spent practicing was interfering with their studies, the girls responded: "Life is more precious than anything else. We don’t want our parents and relatives crying over our dead bodies. We will protect ourselves, and we believe we can."

When asked to comment on the camp, Khatra SDPO (Sub divisional police officer) Abhishek Yadav told this reporter, “We encourage steps like these to promote safety and empowerment.”

The writer covers the Jangal Mahal region for ‘Ganashakti’ newspaper in West Bengal. The views are personal.

(All pictures by Madhu Sudan Chatterjee)