The spate of gruesome attacks on women being reported from across the country coupled with a recent promotional campaign by the Tamil Nadu police has triggered a sharp increase in downloads of Kavalan, the app launched by the State Police Department as an initiative for rendering timely emergency help, especially to women and senior citizens.
The campaign comes at a time when women’s safety is a serious concern. As Esha Nichani, fashion influencer puts it, “Nirbhaya shocked the world but the recent rape and murder of a veterinary doctor in Hyderabad sends shivers down our spines.”
The Tamil Nadu police had launched the mobile SOS application Kavalan on June 4th 2018.
Joint Commissioner of Police R Sudhakar says, “Kavalan is an essential app that offers police support at the click of a button. It makes it easy for the police to understand the circumstance and we will call you back. Officials in the police force and the government have zero tolerance of harrassment, molestation and rape. Anyone can report to us immediately any suspicious activity against women.”
Deepali Goyal, Chairperson, FICCI FLO, the women’s arm of FICCI, who underlined the importance of ensuring the safety for women so that they can step out of their homes and contribute to the nation’s economy, feels that the app is a highly effective tool. “It gives immediate access to the Chennai Police and is GPS-enabled. We are proud to associate with the police to promote downloads of Kavalan in colleges and community events,” she said.
Aditi Ravindranath, Executive Producer at entertainment company Lyca Productions, feels the app is indeed very useful. “The Kavalan app is a big step towards safety”, she says. Talking about the large number of downloads, she comments that “it shows the immediate success of the initiative, and, more importantly, the larger need for such an applications.” Businessman Ranjit Karunakaran says, “A woman’s safety is in being well connected. And the Kavalan app does exactly that with just one click. Let us support the cause and strive to make Chennai a safer city.”Everyone residing in Tamil Nadu can use the Kavalan app to seek police assistance instantly if they feel vulnerable, or see someone else in a vulnerable situation. The app has an SOS button on its home page. When this button is pressed, in five seconds the location of the victim along with live footage from the rear camera of the phone is sent to the Kavalan team. The police will establish contact soon thereafter.
Downloadable on both Android and iOS.
