The first punch was delivered on her attacker’s face and his nose bled. A kick on the next one’s chest, another kick on the third one’s thigh and her attackers ran helter-skelter. Meet 16-year-old Neha Biju, the new brand ambassador of Kerala Women’s Commission’s Koumaram Karuthu programme, whose heroic self-defence against her molesters have earned her the recognition and stardom among friends.
A Plus One student of Providence Higher Secondary School in Kozhikode, Neha, however, remains soft-spoken and humble as she recollects her experience of defending herself. It was a fine morning a month ago. Neha felt a craving for chocolates as she was walking to her school from Malabar Christian College Junction. She first ignored the comments passed by three men who were lurching around the chocolate shop. They dared to touch her and remove her school bag. That is when the kick-boxer gave her valiant response.
“Initially, I did not tell anyone as I was scared. But later I told my kick-boxing instructor, Ratheesh Kempo, who congratulated me. He boosted my confidence. Later, the school honoured me,” says Neha.
She then filed a complaint at the Nadakkavu police station in connection with the incident. Soon, her exploits caught the attention of P. Sathidevi, chairperson of the Kerala Women’s Commission, who invited Neha to Thiruvananthapuram before appointing her as the brand ambassador of ‘Koumaram Karuthu’. In her new position, Neha is to inspire young girls to stay strong and defend themselves fearlessly.
Neha, who hails from Kakkodi on the outskirts of the city, regards her best friend Avantika as her greatest inspiration, besides her parents Biju and Divya. She says wishes to bring laurels to India, just like her icon Mary Kom.
Mr. Kempo underlines what makes Neha stand out. “Many believe that girls cannot really deliver a punch when it matters, even when they are well-trained. It may be true that many freeze when faced with an actual problem. Neha’s success is that she showed the presence of mind to apply what she had learned,” says Mr. Kempo.
