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Muslim Girls Get Ready to Kick Back the Human Wolves - By- Tarannum Manjul Live for today, for yesterday has gone and tomorrow still has to come. With this motto in life, this 24 year old young journalist gets going everyday. A through bred Delhite, this graduate in English honours (and several diplomas) went onto to become a journalist working for a leading National daily in Lucknow, (Uttar Pradesh) from the past 4 years. A true gemini to the soul, she loves meeting people and issues related to the underprivileged, women and children touch her the most. a budding development journalist, Tarannum loves writing about the feat achieved by her key areas, and can go anywhere to do that, with nothing stopping her.

Lucknow, Uttar Pardesh

For the first time in the state, Muslim girls are learning to defend themselves from the 'wolves in the jungle' with their bare hands. The self-defence training, which is being conducted exclusively for the muslim girls by a social activist Naish Hassan, was held recently at the state's capital city, Lucknow, which is Hassan's focus area right now.

Girls breaking wooden slabs in the self defence training camp

The day begins early for these 17 girls, whose age group ranges from 10 to 18, as they learn to do stretching exercises to open up their bodies. “It is very important for these girls to realise to open and stretch their bodies. While boys are able to understand their bodies well because they do not have to sit, stand, move and even sleep under guidelines, it is different for the girls,” says trainer Divya. Alongwith sarita, Divya has traveled all the way from Delhi, where as a part of a group Jagori, they have developed a module combining martial arts with exercises. "We are not training them to look out for things like Pepper sprays or arms to defend them. Instead, they should learn to make optimum use of their bodies," says Divya.

The girls then learn to channelise their energy. They also realise that they do not need to be armed to defend themselves. Instead, they can make their bodies a weapon, which can be dangerous and harmful. “With just two fingers, you can make your attacker blind. With just one punch, you can knock him out,” the trainer shouts, even as the girls giggle. But within seconds, the giggles give way to 'warcries', announcing their 'awakening'. And then, they can break wooden blocks with bare hands, and can also use house keys to defend themselves.

For these girls from the slums of the city, the camp has helped them find their strength. 10 year old Saba Bano, whose father is an electrician, is happy that her father permitted her to be a part of the camp. “Mujhe bahut achcha lagta hai ki ab mujhe koi maar nahin payega,” she chuckles. For Aafreen Bano, a class IX student, the training empowers her to defend not only herself, but other girls too. “Ab jab main kisi bhi ladki ko pareshan hote dekhungi, toh ladkon ki khoob pitai karungi.”

But why an exclusive camp only for muslim girls? Hassan shuns the question that the training is just for muslim girls, “but it is primarily for them.” “Working with the muslim population of Bansmandi area near Nabiullah Road, I realised that there are more issues of muslim women than just talaaq and marital rights. Hindu girls did have an advantage with certain groups organizing camps every year, but the muslim girls, specially those belonging to lower class, were left out. We are not training them in any arms like sword, guns or any other thing. This is purely a self defence camp, where the only arm is the body of the girl,” Hassan stresses again.

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