BSF creates open-air gyms, bathrooms for women along India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal

Nadia: Three open-air gymnasiums and a number of tin sheet-covered bathing sheds for women have been created by a BSF battalion deployed in this frontier area of West Bengal to guard the India-Bangaldesh international boundary.

The facilities were created following the Union home ministry's directive to the border forces to engage with the local population, with Home Minister Amit Shah saying these remote locations on the front are not the last but the first villages of the country, and organisations like the Border Security Force (BSF) should take all measures for the betterment of the lives of the citizens residing in these security-sensitive areas, a senior officer told PTI.

The 32nd battalion of the BSF has created the open-air gyms near its border outposts of Gede, Kadipur and Tungi in West Bengal's Nadia district.

Equipment like parallel bars, waist stretchers, chest press, fun rider, lateral pull down, sit-up trainer, two-sided rotator and "tai chi spinner" have been installed in these gyms, the officer said.

He said the BSF personnel guarding these areas facilitate people from all age groups -- children, youngsters and the elderly -- to use the facilities anytime of the day. "The barrier that was earlier lowered and kept closed by our jawans is now kept open so that people can enjoy the gym whenever they want," another BSF official said.

The area has been cleaned off weeds and shrubs, and large boards that say "Seema Sambandh Marg" or border-relations street have been put up at the three locations.

The BSF has also erected tin shed-covered bathing enclosures for the women and girls of the area after it came to the notice of the force that women had no privacy for their daily ablutions near the water taps, often located on the roadside.

The "Nari Samman Snanghar" were created by the BSF personnel, painted in flower motifs and inaugurated by local women.

"The women used to bathe in the open and we felt very bad that there was no privacy for them. The local BSF unit gathered from the locals that the villagers were distressed due to this and they decided to help with these innovative temporary tin-sheet enclosures.

"The women are very happy with this initiative that the force has undertaken to ensure their dignity," local villager Kumar Biswas said.

Commanding Officer of the 32nd BSF battalion Sujeet Kumar said the force utilised its own funds to create these facilities.

"The BSF is here for the locals. Apart from border security, it is our responsibility to ensure that we help the locals in whatever way we can," Kumar said.

This BSF unit also launched a unique initiative of installing bee hives on the international border fence in November last year and with these "out-of-the-box ideas", it has earned the distinction of creating a unique "model 32" that is being discussed even by the Union home ministry during its civic-engagement review for border areas.

"These are some initiatives that work to earn the trust of the locals, who are our biggest stakeholders when it comes to keeping India's borders safe.

"Union Home Minister Amit Shah has declared that the frontier villages will no more be called the last habitations but the first villages from where the country's territorial limits begin," a senior home ministry official said in Delhi.