Woman constable Mir Hamida Khatun ushers in wave of women empowerment in Goalpara

A Correspondent

Goalpara: Mir Hamida Khatun, a police constable attached to the Goalpara police station, has successfully brought a change in the lives of hundreds of women in the Borpothar area of Goalpara town in Lower Assam.

A former personnel of the 1st Assam Police Task Force Battalion from Barpeta district who was shifted to the Assam Police and posted at Goalpara Sadar police station, Mir Hamida Khatun has been working at the grassroots level with this area’s women and children to make them aware about their rights and duties. She has been relentlessly working with the women during the little time she can spare from her police duty.

“Most of the people of this area are economically backward and their wives are more or less victims of child marriage. The daily wage earners cannot take proper care of their school drop-out children. When I first saw them, I felt a duty towards them,” said Hamida.

“While working with the women, I found an NGO named SEWWA which was registered but not working actively. I inspired everyone to come forward and re-organize it for their greater interest,” she added.

“She (Hamida) always meets us and tells us about domestic violence, child abuse, child marriage, trafficking and other issues which women face in the society. Now we know many things related to the law,” said Tara Banu and Halima Khatun, secretary and president of the NGO named SEWWA.

On Sunday, SEWWA NGO arranged a big meeting at Borpothar and invited people from all walks of life. From police officers to academicians and social workers - everyone responded to the meeting with great enthusiasm. Rupjyoti Kalita, DSP, Sailen Das, Lions Club president, AK Rasid Alom, local MLA, Shahi Karim, businessman, Prahari Das, President’s Award winning teacher, Mir Najrul Islam, Childline activist and Sofikul Ahmed, Juvenile Justice Board member, attended the meeting and spoke on various women and child protection issues.

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