First person: Future belongs to women, says long jumper

Gurdaspur, July 3

Bhumika Thakur, an ex-Indian long jumper, works as a sub-inspector in Punjab Police. She has participated in the World School Games and the prestigious World University Games.

She joined the Punjab Police on sports basis after spurning offers from the ONGC and Railways because “the police force offered me a career of aggression and authority”.

Born and brought up in the dusty by-lanes of middle-class Dinanagar, she has become a beacon of hope for girls in the border area to take to sports if they have to move ahead in life. “Working in the police force gives us an opportunity to make the world a secure place to live in.

It is unlike the Army, where we have to serve our nation. In the police, we have to serve our community,” she says, adding that Olympian Neeraj Chopra, with whom she has attended several national camps, has had a deep influence on her life.

She speaks to Ravi Dhaliwal about the role of women in the police force: I never ever assumed that being a woman meant some things that were off limits to me. Going by changes in Indian society, like the proposed 33 per cent reservation in Parliament for women, it is not long when women will play a dominant role in all spheres of life. In fact, the future is female.

I rejected offers from the ONGC and Railways just because I wanted to do something exciting in life. My father, a former football coach, told me to join either the Army or the police if I wanted to work for the security and betterment of society. In 2016, Punjab

Police were recruiting top-drawer sportspersons.

I did not have to think twice. I have now embarked upon a journey in the police that requires me to be feisty, spunky and plucky. There is no limit to what women can accomplish. Just give them a decent opening. Once they have a foot in the door, they can yank the door wide open. Given an opportunity, they will show you of what mettle they are made up of.

The police in almost all Indian states have seen a rise in female officers across various ranks, contributing to crime prevention, investigation and maintaining law and order. Punjab Police is no different. Records show a major part of crimes are those which are committed against women. Having women police officers is crucial for effectively dealing with such crimes. When I joined the force, I noticed that people have the notion that the work is masculine in nature and hence requires physical strength, aggression and authority. This prevented women from pursuing a career in policing.

They felt that they will have to face discrimination and harassment from male colleagues. This is absolutely false. Women are at par with men in the force. We no longer are put on desk duty to deal with juvenile cases. In contrast, we are now given important duties.

There are times when we have been sent to the international border to deal with the evolving situation. We are given posts which earlier would only be given to men. We are as respected, and appreciated, as our men colleagues. I often tell my women colleagues, know your worth and then add a tax. Unlike earlier, we are not given gender-specific tasks.

In Punjab Police, women who have chosen law-enforcement as a career are excelling in various roles. Our seniors often encourage us to aim higher in terms of our career aspirations.

We are also given a wide range of roles and responsibilities. We are now fully capable of handling any assignment proving that gender should not be a barrier to our involvement in law-enforcement. “All women were created equal, but the finest become police officers,” she says.

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Amritsar