Women are climbing water tanks, mobile towers and even high tension poles to create pressure on the system

Varanasi/Prayagraj: In Sholay, Veeru had climbed on the water tank for Basanti. Recently, the districts of Purvanchal have seen several iterations of that iconic cinematic moment, but with a gender twist.Women are climbing water tanks, mobile towers and even high tension poles to create pressure on the system. Sometimes it works. More often than not, it has the opposite effect. In Ballia, Jaunpur, AzamgarhIn Pratapgarh and beyond, many people have faced cases of endangering life, creating public nuisance and wasting government resources.Last month, a girl from a village in Sukhpura police station area of ​​Ballia was in the news for about a fortnight. After filing an FIR against her boyfriend and three others alleging sexual harassment, she climbed a mobile phone tower on April 7. The police worked for hours to bring her down and eventually called her boyfriend. He agreed and the couple got married on 17 April at the Maharishi Bhrigu temple. After this the groom took his wife home.But a minor girl from a village under Nevadhiya police station of Jaunpur was not so lucky. On April 2, she climbed a mobile tower in her village and demanded that her boyfriend be released from jail and that they be allowed to live together. She was jailed on kidnapping and rape charges after her family lodged an FIR over her escape. After bringing the girl down, the police sent her to the Government Girls Home in Varanasi.From March 29 to April 21, Pratapgarh police have registered five cases where women aged between 18 and 22 climbed a water tank or mobile tower for their love. These incidents came to light from Leelapur, Kotwali, Kunda and Patti areas.The first case was reported on March 29, when a woman, upset over a romantic dispute, climbed a mobile tower with her boyfriend, demanding his marriage. It took more than two hours for the police to pacify him before they brought him down safely in the presence of family members.In April, a woman in the Patti area, upset that her family had arranged her marriage against her wishes, climbed a tower and refused to come down. However, through persuasion and counselling, the police brought her down safely and advised her family not to go ahead with the marriage without her consent. A senior official said times of India At least five cases of women climbing water tanks or mobile towers were reported within a month. But, every time the police managed to bring them down safely. Yet, this trend has shocked the force, as women are using such risky acts to press for their demands.In Shahganj, Jaunpur, a 19-year-old girl climbed an electric pole demanding marriage with a young man who was jailed for having physical relations with the promise of marriage. After being released on bail, he went to Mumbai. Police, QRT and firefighters struggled for hours to bring him down.In Ghosi, Mau, a minor girl climbed a mobile tower on May 2, demanding marriage with her lover. She came down after he called her and promised her marriage. The family members had opposed this match. One such case came to light from Saraymir in Azamgarh.The police are usually lenient in such cases, but they booked most of the people who climbed the towers. A man climbed a mobile tower in Azamgarh’s Bilariaganj on April 23 and started demanding marriage from the girl he loved as her marriage was fixed with someone else. After about two hours of drama, the police brought him down but took him into custody.A 17-year-old boy from Bansdih, Ballia had to pay a heavy price for climbing a 33,000 volt high-tension electricity tower on April 19. He climbed the 80-meter high tower, demanding to speak to a 16-year-old girl from his village. He was taken down and caught. In Nagra and Bansdih areas too, two people had to face legal action after climbing a tower for love.Officials said incidents of people climbing towers, overhead tanks and electric poles are not new or surprising. Such protests happen everywhere and people make different demands, often regarding property disputes, jobs or police action in criminal cases. But he acknowledged that climbing towers to seek marriage or relationship has become a growing trend.“We have a clear SOP to deal with people climbing towers, overhead tanks or pillars. Trained, experienced senior officers in such situations psychologically interact with them,” said ADG Varanasi zone Piyush Mordia. “If a girl has climbed up, we deploy a team of women officers, women constables and anyone who can pacify her.”Psychologists like BHU professor Rakesh Pandey said these incidents are rarely suicidal. This can be called instrumental aggression displayed towards the family or institution for some important pursuit. This can be called the ultimate bargain, he said, as whenever they climb a tower or pole people surround them with mobile cameras and solve their purpose of attracting attention.“They try to create panic without caring whether it harms personal or family reputation,” said Dr Brijesh Pandey, a sociologist at the Women’s College. “Most of the people involved come from classes where the elders are less educated and pay less attention to ensuring that the younger generations retain their original culture.”Officials said the post-modern era, where advanced communication devices like smartphones are an integral part of life, is also pushing people to claim a separate identity.