THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, September 3: A band of nine students, including eight girls from classes 4 to 7 of KAI school had an interactive and interfacing session with SP Reeshma Ramesan.
The children were inquisitive and excited, said the school administrator V K Dubey.
Students’ curiosity and personal questions
SP Reeshma Ramesan told this correspondent today, “The children had too many questions. They were initially nervous but soon they composed themselves.”
One girl asked Reeshma Ramesan how she met Anjani Anjan, also an IPS, and again how they two became a happy couple.
“Jab We Met (the title of a romantic Hindi film), it was in the SVPNP Academy where we were having our police training,” said Reeshma.
Addressing tough questions and fears
There was a knockout question from the girls: “Who is more powerful IAS or IPS? ”
“Everyone is important and powerful in their way. It’s teamwork in the administration,” Reeshma Ramesan convinced the girls.
She said, “There was just one boy in the contingent. He said he feared the police, and police arrest. And that makes him dread police.”
“The girls on the other hand were bold enough to say that they don’t fear police,” recollected the SP.
She said, “The children had small chits in their hands. Perhaps the school teachers had asked them not to falter there anymore. I asked them to feel free to ask.”
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Discussion on women’s safety and challenges
The children then opened up. There came a question about women’s safety in the workplace.
“The girls wanted to know what the challenges are for a working woman at her workplace. It was a very relevant question,” added the SP.
“I assured them that women in our police set-up are better placed. The system, the hierarchy and the institution take care of our woman police force,” reminded Reeshma Ramesan.
She conceded that challenges are galore for women at their workplaces but here in the police institution, it is well managed.
She said, “I explained to the girls that every bit of the woman police force like their travel, shelter, food, facilities and safety are well taken care of.”
India Reserve Battalion and other CPMF have cooks with them so there are never any food issues.
Encouragement to overcome language barrier
A girl tried to lob her question in English but got stuck up and here she was given a pep talk by the SP.
Reeshma Ramesan pointed out, “I saw one girl struggling with her English. I comforted her without making her feel sad that she could not speak English. I asked her to use Hindi. I told her that it’s important to communicate and language is no barrier. Just be fluent in any language that you speak.”
“I then thought I should encourage her to keep trying to communicate in English as after all English is a global lingua franca. She exuded confidence,” the SP reiterated.
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Insight into personal and professional life
From the school management side were V K Dubey, M K Singh and Alka Kumari who wanted to know more about the ‘mantra’ of cracking the UPSC exams.
Reeshma Ramesan said, “I had done engineering courses and I chose geography for the UPSC. They just wanted to know how I could manage these two engineering and geography in the UPSC.”
“Girls wanted to know that since I come from Kerala state and I perform Chhath Puja to which I told them the celebration of faith does not see the geographical boundary of the states,” said Reeshma Ramesan.
The school children were told of community policing, forensic tests and other invasive roles of the police for a better society.
Children said, “They are pretty fond of watching TV serial titled CID. No one said about Crime Patrol serial or other serials of the likes.”
There was a question as to whether Reeshma Ramesan finds time to cook and if she cooks what is her favourite dish.
“It’s a Dosa dish that I do,” children were told by the SP.
Reeshma Ramesan said, “It was a joyful experience with them. The students were too small in age but they had big questions in their minds. And that’s great”.
Nancy Priya, Priyanshu Kumar, Aradhya Upadhayay and other students were too rapturous with the lady SP.
