There is an uproar about crimes against women. One Member of Parliament has gone as far as suggesting the lynching of criminals involved. No court would approve of such a drastic practice, but discussion of the topic and coming up with practical solutions is necessary.
Part of the problem is the Indian concept of women as helpless people who cannot defend themselves. At a time when women are taking on the job of combat pilots, this patronizing view of women is harmful. I would argue that at least one or two percent of women who use two-wheelers or cars for risk-prone commuting should get trained in self-defence, and carry licensed pistols. There are 37,000 rapes per year in India. Assume that about 40 or 50 rape attempts end in the attacker being shot. That would send a very powerful message to all brutes. The woman need not shoot to kill. Good self-defence training can tell them what they should do.
There is a tradition of demanding that the government should take responsibility for implementing every suggestion. I would disagree. All I would ask for is that people who run good gyms be encouraged to set up training units to offer self-defence training as a business, including the safe use of pistols. Rigorous selection and careful regulation of these training units is what the police should do.
Srinivasan Ramani
