The Hindu Business Line : IT's time to get tough

iGATE Global Solutions (www.igate.com) is an iTOPS firm, meaning `integrated technology and operations'. It operates in areas such as consulting, data analytics, enterprise systems, BPO, contact centre, and infrastructure management. But this story is about the company's Karate initiative in Bangalore, at the corporate headquarters.

It was in December last year that Bangalore was horrified when a call centre employee was kidnapped and murdered. The crime raised questions about the safety of women staff in IT services, given the industry's odd timings and logistic challenges.

Just the right trigger it was for iGATE to provide its employees with basic self-defence techniques.

"Employee safety has always been of utmost concern for us. While we provide excellent safety and security within our premises, such programmes help employees to take care of themselves outside work place," says U.V.G. Sekar, Senior Vice-President and Global Head - HR of the company, responding to questions that I e-mailed.

The company's trainer is Savitha RP of the HR Department. She is Black Belt in Karate and a National Champion.

"Who, according to her, is an ideal candidate for training?" I ask. "Whoever is keen to learn basic self-defence techniques are ideal candidates," she says. Though the training benefits women employees who work in night shifts, men too need to know basic self-defence. "Besides helping them stay fit, it also builds up their confidence levels." Participants undergo a crash course, but learning is an ongoing process, notes the trainer.

For, "skills learnt get better with constant practice." I am curious to know if trainees advised to switch to combat mode after a specified time. Or, simply, how long should they be passive before turning defensive/aggressive? There are no fixed time limits, clarifies Savitha. "When to make use of the techniques is need-based."

Was there any opposition/criticism that the programme faced? "No, on the contrary, the response has been very positive and encouraging," she informs. "Both financial independence and knowledge of self-defence skills enhance confidence in a woman. With women increasingly participating in all walks of life, the need to protect themselves from any untoward incident has become all the more essential."

Financial independence and self-protection skills go hand-in-hand and are strong enablers for success, Savitha quips.

Has the training made any change to the attitude of participants? "Lady employees no longer consider working in night shifts as unsafe," says Ruthi Phazang, an employee who has undergone self-defence training. iGATE has a global employee strength of over 4,800.

"How far is crime against women avoidable?" I query. Phazang concedes that the issue has to be looked at from a macro perspective.

"We need collective participation of the society to ensure that women are not looked at as an easy prey by criminals."

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