What will you do if a stranger keeps stalking and harassing you? A few girls in Haryana’s Rewari district are fighting their battle with hockey sticks.
Rewari is one of the major districts of Haryana, located 100 kilometres from the national capital, Delhi. It’s also one of India’s major hub for brass utensils. But, that’s not what got us there.
In the sweltering heat of May, there came startling news. A group of girls from Gothra, a small village in Rewari, sat on a hunger strike. Their demand? To upgrade their school to a senior secondary institute.
This, they told us, was because the nearest senior secondary school was three kilometres away in Kanwali village.
The long walk is peppered with empty fields and deserted roads. All of it led to boys from nearby villages regularly harassing and molesting the girls.
The girls’ hunger strike managed to convince the government, and their school was upgraded. But, their parents are still concerned. To play hockey, the girls still have to go to the nearest ground located in Kanwali, which exposes them to the same danger.
The girls are increasingly getting unfazed though. A few girls shared stories of how they rebuked a boy, who was stalking them and passing lewd comments. Hockey, as it seems, has emerged as a tool for self-confidence and self-defence.
Their confidence is really inspiring. Watch the video and see it for yourself.
Video Editor: Prashant Chauhan
Producer & Camera: Aaqib Raza Khan
Reporters: Kaushiky Kashyap, Aaqib Raza Khan
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