In Punjab, girls lead a ‘gatka’ fightback

JALANDHAR: In contrast to the predominant image of the girl as a helpless victim pervading the nation following the Nirbhaya gang rape in December 2012, a different story is unfolding in the verdant landscape of the border state of Punjab, where people have had to defend themselves from invaders for decades.
Taking the task of keeping the invaders of their honour at bay, girls have began turning towards ‘‘gatka’’, a Sikh martial art form, to defend themselves.
Earlier only a few doughty girls evinced interest in learning this system of combat — involving fighting with wooden sticks and swords — but now many of the fair sex are banking on it to keep themselves safe on the roads and at college.
The “gatka” academies in the state are flush with new recruits. “Last year, only 15 girls enrolled for our summer camp in Amritsar, but this year we have got 40 bookings within a few days of starting enrolment.
Encouraged by this we are planning a bigger camp in June, and expect to train 300 girls,” said Advocate Jaswinder Singh, who heads Akal Purakh Ki Fauj, which has been at the vanguard of propagating “gatka” in the state and abroad.