Maharashtra govt announces initiative ‘Har Ghar Durga’ to empower women

As the festival of Navratri is set to start, Maharashtra government has announced a new initiative -- ‘Har Ghar Durga’ (a Durga in every home) -- to empower women in the state.

Under the initiative, young women studying in state-run industrial institutions will be given self-defence training. The training will be free of cost.

“As we prepare to celebrate Navratri, a festival dedicated to Goddess Durga, the symbol of power and the destroyer of evil, we want to ensure that every household in our society has a strong and empowered Durga who can fight against the wrongdoers. This is the spirit behind our ‘Har Ghar Durga’ campaign,” Maharashtra cabinet minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha told News18.

The minister emphasised that this programme will not be limited to students in government institutes.

“Any woman who wishes to learn self-defence is welcome to participate,” he added.

The self-defence training will be conducted two-three times per week throughout the year.

According to the News18 report, the official launch of ‘Har Ghar Durga’ campaign will take place on September 30 at the Government Industrial Institute in Kurla, with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla leading the ceremony. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, will be present at the event.

Actress Ada Sharma, known for her role in The Kerala Story, is also expected to be present at the event.

“We have appointed expert instructors to conduct these self-defence classes. The idea is to make self-defence as regular and integral as any other subject taught in these institutions,” Lodha said, as per the report.

The minister has also called on Navratri committees to integrate self-defence workshops into their celebrations.

“This is a festival dedicated to the power and strength of women. It’s only fitting that we celebrate it by empowering our women in a tangible way. We are ready to provide trained instructors to any committee in Mumbai or Thane that wants to hold such workshops during the festivities,” Lodha also said.