Hounded by unscrupulous money-lenders, threatened by anti-social elements, or stuck in a crisis? A gram sabha in Maharashtra’s Solapur district has introduced a unique solution for those who suffer in silence- raise the index finger to summon help.

This resolution was passed by the gram sabha of Pothre Nilaj village in Karamala taluka on Women’s Day on March 8, acknowledging the atmosphere of “fear” in society and intimidation that forces victims into silence.

This move aims to eradicate fear among villagers and restore harmony and brotherhood in the village, the resolution stated. So how will this work? The Gram Sabha said the person who needed help would have to raise the index finger if feel threatened. This gesture will alert others who will rush to his/her aid, as per the resolution.

The move will help women, children, and senior citizens immensely, it said.

“Raising the index finger will signal to others that the person needs urgent help. Alert citizens will approach him to help. If the crisis is serious and real, the person seeking help will be connected to various helpline numbers related to women, children, senior citizens, and the police,” the Gram Sabha said.

This concept is the brainchild of Pothre Nilaj sarpanch Ankush Shinde.

“This idea was conceptualised during a discussion with Pramod Zinjade, a social activist who has spearheaded several initiatives like eradicating certain customs related to widows in rural Maharashtra,” Shinde told PTI.

Shinde said the Gram Sabha is planning to publicise this initiative among people.

He said the Gram Sabha has also urged the state government to introduce a dedicated WhatsApp number so that people can share the location, photo, and video of the person in crisis. This information can be disseminated in real-time to the concerned department who in turn will inform the local police.

Explaining the initiative, Zinjade said fear has gripped the society for various reasons, some domestic and others related to anti-social elements.

“Citizens facing problems at home and work may not muster the courage to speak out. They may be bothered by anti-social elements or harassed by money lenders for failure to repay the loan.

“The raising of the index finger will mean that the concerned person needs help. Seeing this, others can inform the Gram Sevak and Sarpanch,” he added.

The resolution comes amidst the backdrop of the latest string of videos showing violence, especially in Beed district in the Marathwada region.

Pothere Nilaj village, with a population of 6,000 and most inhabitants engaged in farming, has been following a progressive path by standing against social evils.

It had become the first village in Solapur district to adopt a resolution passed by the Herwad gram panchayat in Kolhapur district in 2022 banning customs like removing a widow’s mangalsutra, toe ring, and wiping her sindoor.