Make self-defence compulsory for school girls: Akshay

Reacting to the brutal rape of a young woman in the capital, film actor Akshay Kumar said that self-defence should be made compulsory for girls in school, while filmmaker Pritish Nandy suggested that boys should be taught to respect girls.

The 23-year-old physiotherapist was tortured and raped here by a gang of men in a moving bus. She is currently fighting for life in a hospital here.

"While it took such an incident to awaken us, it is sad to see that it is already losing its steam with the (Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh) election coverage," Akshay tweeted.

"What happened is not acceptable! Let us not forget, we owe her that much. If we can't get men to behave, it is time women take things in their own hands. Make self-defence compulsory in the school curriculum. It is not a solution but a start," he further posted.

In response to Akshay's tweet, filmmaker Pritish Nandy suggested that boys should be taught to respect girls.

"@akshaykumar - Isn't it simpler to teach young boys in school to love and respect the opposite sex?" tweeted Nandy.

To which Akshay replied: "@PritishNandy while that needs to be done irrespective of everything. Self defence training will atleast give them the ability to protect themselves if the need arises."