Over 1 lakh sign up for Hry police's initiative to check eve

A Haryana police initiative to rope in the youth to check the menace of eve-teasing has attracted over a lakh youth including actors, singers, graphic designers, engineers and others.
The police are now looking for ways to use the talent and energy of these youngsters to launch a campaign against eve- teasing across the state.
Launched about a month back by Haryana DGP, B S Sandhu, as many as 1,02,980 have signed up for the 'Youth Against Sexual Harassment' (YASH) initiative, Haryana ADGP, O P Singh said.
It underlines the people's enthusiasm to join hands with police in making streets, workplaces and homes safer for women, the officer said.

In districts like Hisar, Jhajjar, Yamunanagar, Sonipat, Ambala, Bhiwani, Panchkula, Rohtak, Rewari, Faridabad and Sirsa, the number of volunteers crossed the 5,000 mark.
"Interestingly 64 per cent of all those who have signed up are male, implying that a large number of men are worried about the situation and want to be agents of change. Around 32.9 per cent are over 30 years and have signed up as mentors," Singh said.

Out of those who have signed up, 124 are dramatists, 183 singers, 212 media persons, 253 artists, 533 IT professionals, 858 lawyers, 982 activists, 1,331 doctors, 1,519 engineers, 1,530 sports persons, 1,687 government officials, 1,870 businessman, 3,577 public representative, 5,956 teachers and 57,732 students.

"They have ticked an astonishing range of skills as their area of interest. 1,255 are graphic designers, 1,377 are into documentary making, 1,446 are photographers, 2,537 want to help by way of social media management, 2771 by content writing.
"Among others 2,919 want to be part of event management, 3,577 want to help through arts and theatre while 5,342 want to help through their knowledge in computer applications, 9,557 through public speaking and 20,239 through their sporting talent," Singh said.
He said that police station-wise data has been supplied to the district SPs with the guideline to structure mentor and volunteers into different working groups.

They have been asked to hold an open house season at police station level to figure out events that can be organised and actions that can be taken to build public opinion against sexual harassment, the ADGP said.
"With an average of 100 hours of their time in a year, the effort is like pumping in over 4,29,083 man-days into preventing and disrupting sexual harassment," he added.