Vimala Devi resides in a village in West Champaran called Betiah. She is a grandmother now but still has the same confidence and courage as that of a young woman in her prime, to face any situation life throws at her. Dwelling on the huge generation gap, the wise woman says that her daughters and granddaughters do not face the hardships she faced, but live their lives with pride and freedom. “If needed, we will fight for them, but won’t let them suffer. We are not meant to be oppressed by men,” she said with determination.
Ms. Devi is not the only one with such a strong will. She is among many women who were victims of domestic violence in the Nineties, who learnt to fight for their rights because of the courage instilled in them by the then SP Abhyananad. And, now, they want the same for their daughters and granddaughters.
Indian Masterminds spoke to former DGP and IPS officer of 1977 batch, Mr. Abhayanand, who was posted as SP of West Champaran in 1990, to know why the womenfolk of the district still remember him with so much respect.
JUNGLE RAJ
Mr. Abhyanand took over as the SP at a time when the district was completely under the control of criminals and was the epicentre of the so-called ‘Jungle Raaz’ in Bihar. Public feared to come out of their houses in evening. Police refused to register any complaint or FIR of a common man. In a place where even the men had lost the courage to stand up and fight, one can imagine the plight of the women.
However, things changed drastically when Mr. Abhayanand joined as SP and along with the then Collector, Mr. G Krishnaiah, not only increased the security cover but brought remarkable changes in the district with their small interventions.
A local social worker and poet, Neeraj, says that people still remember that tenure. The impact those three years have had can be felt now too. He said, “People didn’t know the meaning of SP. For them, the SP was just a ‘Bada Daroga’ but Mr. Abhyanand proved that an officer can be a catalyst in social change if he has the vision. Otherwise, officers come and go. Some are corrupt and some are honest but not everybody is missed or remembered.”
When Indian Masterminds asked Mr. Abhayanand, how it feels to be remembered by so many people, he said, “We all joined civil service with an aim to help the public. Everybody wants to give back to society. I really feel blessed to be in the prayers of so many. I joined the service to bring smiles and changes. If I have achieved that, then nothing like it!”
FEAR OF FIR
The region was gripped with crimes, from kidnapping to ransom and timber smuggling. Many white collared criminals and political figures were part of this nexus. No police station would write a complaint without the permission of the ‘bahubalis’. ‘Jal, Jungle and Zameen’ – all were in their control. Even if somebody got an order from the court, it was impossible to enforce it. In that kind of a situation, one can very well imagine the plight of the women. It was unthinkable for them to go to lodge a complaint about domestic violence.
But, all changed after the coming of SP Abhayanand. Now a victim could not only direct the police station to register the FIR, but also mention the section, thus rooting out any scope for misleading by the police. Not only this, Mr. Abhayanand also appointed a DySP to monitor the proceedings and ensure the safety of the victim.
As a result, women would make an excuse of visiting their parents and come down to meet the SP directly and register their complaint. This created a lot of fear among the men of the area and they refrained from any violence against the women. In fact, a saying became popular among the men: “We will till when this SP leaves.” While the women would pray that he would never have to leave this place.
Kusum Devi had filed a complaint that her paternal cousin had married but he and his family were not taking the bride with them and were asking for more money. The SP ordered few staff to go and check. The team just met the boy, and without having to register a complaint, the groom promised to take the bride home the very next day.
PROMISE OF SECURITY
But it was not just homes where women did not feel safe then. They feared going to school or the hospital. Even female nurses were not coming to hospitals, fearing something bad would happen and police would not take any action. The government hospital was non-functional which gave the chance to quacks to flourish. Mr. Abhayanand and the DM did multiple meetings and promised to ensure safety of each working woman. He assured them that they should just come for work, and he will take care of the rest.
It took some time but slowly the women gained confidence. And, they began to trust the SP’s words. And, so when he requested them to send their daughters to school, they did. The promise of security made the women come outside and join work, which eventually increased their economic status too. Women also became informants for the police, giving leads about criminals. They would even not hesitate to fight with them!
HELPING MEN TOO
As for the men, they were mostly sugarcane farmers but would not get adequate payment for their yield. The mill owners had the support of the ‘bahubalis’ and at time, the criminals would just loot the whole field leaving nothing for the poor farmers.
SP Abhayanand, with the help of the Collector, started the practice of direct payment to farmers in their bank accounts, by the mill owners. At first, the banks opposed the idea of opening so many accounts, but both the officers made them do it. They also promoted the farming of other crops which would retain the production quality of soil.
In that era, when people were living in fear and nobody knew the meaning of women empowerment, Mr. Abhayanand proved that an officer does not need to do anything extra. They just need to ensure that the men do not take away the rights of the women. In such a scenario, where women feel empowered, they themselves are capable of doing anything, not just ensuring their own safety and dignity.
