Bengaluru: Hailing from a middle-class family, her parents got her married soon after she completed class 10. And with M Gouri's dreams of becoming a working woman were quashed. This year, however, Gouri chose to step out of her home and join the Karnataka Home Guards. She was among 68 women candidates who were inducted into the service on Monday.
"I was working as a tailor and confined to the four walls of my house. My husband and in-laws would always look down on me. Recently, I read about recruitment of Home Guards in a newspaper and applied for the same. I did not expect to get through, but I did," she said.
Around 140 candidates joined the 2017 batch of Karnataka Home Guards, Bengaluru North, on Monday. Of these 68 are women and 72 are men.
"It's a voluntary decision that every woman takes to come here and serve people. Despite fewer facilities for women here, they still chose to come and work. There are women from all walks of life - widows, mothers and the elderly," said B Amaranath, district commandant, Home Guards, Bengaluru north. "It's a great chance for women who never went to college but can still wear the uniform and serve people," said Uma Maheshwari, 36, who stepped into this new role on Monday. Said Lakshmidevamma, 30, also from the new batch: "I have two children who are really proud of the work I'll do. My daughter who is studying in class 7 also wants to be a home guard some day." - by Rakshita Reddy
"I was working as a tailor and confined to the four walls of my house. My husband and in-laws would always look down on me. Recently, I read about recruitment of Home Guards in a newspaper and applied for the same. I did not expect to get through, but I did," she said.
Around 140 candidates joined the 2017 batch of Karnataka Home Guards, Bengaluru North, on Monday. Of these 68 are women and 72 are men.
"It's a voluntary decision that every woman takes to come here and serve people. Despite fewer facilities for women here, they still chose to come and work. There are women from all walks of life - widows, mothers and the elderly," said B Amaranath, district commandant, Home Guards, Bengaluru north. "It's a great chance for women who never went to college but can still wear the uniform and serve people," said Uma Maheshwari, 36, who stepped into this new role on Monday. Said Lakshmidevamma, 30, also from the new batch: "I have two children who are really proud of the work I'll do. My daughter who is studying in class 7 also wants to be a home guard some day." - by Rakshita Reddy