Empower girls, teach boys to respect women, says Aamir Khan

Commenting on the growing atrocities against women, Bollywood star Aamir Khan on Monday said that girls should be empowered and at the same time, boys should be offered proper upbringing so that they learn to respect women.

He was addressing the function organized to mark the launch of country’s first One Stop Crisis Centre (OSCC) for preventing atrocities against women in Bhopal on Monday.

The actor lauded the courage of those women who took to the stage in the function and narrated the ordeal they faced in their lives and how they managed to retaliate and inspired many.

“Female remains nucleus of the family, so the parents should empower their daughters,” he urged.

He felicitated several women who had shown exemplary courage against atrocities and presented themselves as role models.

Early in the event, Sarika Sinha regional manager of volunteer organization ‘Action Aid Association’ cutting a sorry figure of Madhya Pradesh in atrocities against women told the gathering that the state registers nine rape cases daily and records 2 deaths in dowry cases in the same duration.

Describing the OSCC as the first such initiative in the country, Sinha said that the centre would act as 24x7 helpline offer psychological, medical, legal help apart from providing assistance in rehabilitation of women who suffer atrocities like rape, violence and acid attacks.

Under the state government’s initiative –Gauravi, the centre would function from Jaiprakash Hospital.

The unique establishment has been jointly started by Action Aid Association and Family Welfare and Health department of MP Government.

Similar facilities would be opened in every district of the state in future.

For offering bigger space to a troupe of young girls who performed on the title song from Aamir Khan’s movie Taare Zamin Pe, the actor showed plenty of humility and sat on the floor on the corner of the stage.

The group Nrityanjali included some members who were abandoned by their families for being the girl child.

After the performance, the actor happily posed for pictures with the group.