Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, Sept 15:The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) received the prestigious Smart Policing Award-2022 from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) today for its groundbreaking mental health and gender training initiative, ‘Love U Zindagi,’ which is currently operational as a pilot project in the Srinagar Sector.
According to CRPF officials, the program has been instrumental in fostering a deeper understanding of gender issues and promoting mental well-being among CRPF personnel.
The program, designed to address mental health and gender understanding, officials said, has made a significant impact within the CRPF, enabling jawans to confront the challenges posed by patriarchy and long-distance relationships.
“This initiative stands as a unique offering within the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) for its holistic approach to personnel development,” officials said.
CRPF officials said that the initiative is the world’s largest pilot project within any paramilitary organization, reaching an impressive 28,000 personnel through 50 master trainers and 550 frontline trainers.
They reported that the program has already yielded a multitude of positive results, aiding personnel in managing their thoughts, emotions, anger, stress, and various other issues. “The program’s recognition by FICCI underscores its exceptional contributions to the welfare of CRPF personnel”, they said.
As part of the program, surveillance of all CRPF personnel is carried out using the GMHAT tool to identify those suffering from stress, depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Vulnerable groups are then identified and targeted based on vulnerability mapping parameters.
Monika Salve, Chief Coordinator of the ‘Love U Zindagi’ program in Srinagar, highlighted the program’s empathetic approach, saying, “Through the initiative, we were able to understand the feelings and emotions of jawans in a better way, particularly the challenges they face at home and in the workplace. I was coordinating the training program at 22 locations, which included 50 officers and 100 Jawans as trainers for the course.”
In a letter sent to CRPF by FICCI, it was revealed that the Smart Policing Award-2023 received entries from 23 organizations, including 17 State Police Forces and six CAPFs, among other Central Agencies. Among the numerous submissions, the ‘Love U Zindagi (LUZ)’ Programme stood out as the worthy recipient of the award.
The award letter also acknowledged the pivotal role played by Charu Sinha, IGP, Southern Range, and the IG, Srinagar Sector, in launching the program to enhance the well-being of CRPF personnel.
The Smart Policing Award-2023 was accepted on behalf of the CRPF by V.S. Khatana, Commandant of the CRPF Academy, during the ‘Homeland Security 2023’ event held at FICCI, New Delhi.
The event, jointly organized by FICCI and the Vivekananda International Foundation, revolved around the theme of “Cybersecurity, AI, and Data Analytics for Internal Security.”
A CRPF personnel member noted, “Being part of a disciplined force, we need to be harsh and strict sometimes, but Love U Zindagi has taught us to deal with things emotionally and in a caring way.”
CRPF officials informed Excelsior that under the program, in Mental Health awareness, force personnel are taught how to deal with negative thoughts and emotions, how to manage stress, and are introduced to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
In the training module for Gender understanding, officials said, the main focus is on family-related issues, how masculinity and patriarchy affect men in society, the importance of women’s empowerment, and coping with long-distance relationships.
Additionally, the program addresses the role of poor household financial management as a contributing factor to suicides in CRPF. “Under the finance module, household finance management is covered, along with budgeting and the benefits of goal setting in personal finance.”
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