PKL | Haryana Steelers don special jersey to spread social awareness
(Twitter)
The Haryana Steelers' season in PKL may have come to an end, but on Saturday, the team spread a message that went beyond the playing field. The Steelers utilised the match versus Tamil Thalaivas as an opportunity to raise awareness about domestic violence experienced by women in the state.
The helpline established by the Haryana Government and Police specifically for women to report domestic abuse is identified by the number 1091, which the players carried on the front of their jerseys. Coach Manpreet Singh spoke in a video that was broadcast on the Haryana Steelers' official Instagram page on the need to curb the growing incidence of domestic violence in Indian families.
"The issue of domestic violence against women in Indian households is a cause of worry. We have our mothers, sisters, and wife in our homes and we should treat all of them with love and respect. Violence should never take place inside our homes, to begin with," Manpreet said.
"If we first offer respect to our mothers, sisters, wife at our homes, then only we can learn how to offer respect to other women in society. If we are violent at home, then we are violent outside as well," he added.
The action is also a part of the Steelers' larger "Udne Do" campaign, which the team started last year to educate people about violence against women and encourage young girls.
Divyanshu Singh, CEO of the Haryana Steelers, commented on the unique jersey the squad wore during the game, "This is a subject we, at Steelers, feel about strongly, and we want to keep using every platform we get to raise awareness about it.
With 'Udne Do', we want to champion a campaign that makes a telling difference, not an eyewash to make us look good. We're keen to keep building on this even in the off-season, and hopefully, we can be the voice from the state that leads the cause of women and their empowerment."
