'We feel like Mr India': Gujarat’s undercover SHE team guard garba nights at Navratri

Gujarat Police is sending its female cops to garba venues across the state during Navratri to monitor crowds and ensure the safety of women, children and senior citizens. Vadodara’s anti-human trafficking unit head inspector Chandrika Aasundra is part of the Gujarat Police’s SHE team. She attends garba events dressed in traditional chaniya choli instead of her uniform with several other women police officers.

The 38-year-old officer also keeps a close watch on the surroundings of the event to identify any suspicious activity. She has been involved in this practice for the last two years as part of the police’s security arrangements during the nine-day festival. “We feel like Mr India. We are around, but we cannot be seen,” Aasundra said and referred to the Bollywood film in which the main character becomes invisible, as quoted by The Indian Express.

She explained that officers of the unit maintain the same level of alertness and confidence whether they are in uniform or dressed in traditional attire, with their body posture and alertness remaining unchanged. She added that they are just as confident, adding that it is fun because people cannot identify them, and her team continue to work while dancing.

Aasundra noted that people’s behaviour often shifts when they spot officers in uniform, whereas undercover duty lets officers observe the crowd more naturally. “When you are in uniform, people tend to behave well. But when they cannot recognise us, we can see them for who they are,” she added.

Manjita Vanzara also told IANS, “The Vadodara City Police’s women’s teams have been organized across various police stations and zones. At locations hosting large-scale Garba events and *pandals* during Navratri, our female officers—dressed in traditional attire—have been deployed to ensure security. Furthermore, members of our ‘SHE Team’ are assisting with traffic management, while other female officers are conducting patrols. Additionally, all locations are being monitored via CCTV cameras."

Rise of female cops

The forces have also witnessed an upsurge in the number of women personnel ever since the state announced 33 per cent reservation for women in 2014. Sub-Inspector Hetal Jadeja also said that the decision to deploy thousands of female cops undercover came after discussions on improving safety measures at crowded events.

“While we conduct awareness programmes for women and children, we felt that women police personnel going undercover would help. Uniformed officers may create deterrence for a short period, but the possibility of undercover cops being present at venues creates a stronger impact,” she said.

Several pieces of footage of Inspector Nidhi Kalsaria in traditional attire at a garba venue in Ahmedabad recently also surfaced on social media. Meanwhile, Garba celebrations across Gujarat have grown into massive events, drawing thousands of attendees to venues throughout the state’s cities. With many of these gatherings held on city outskirts, security has become an increasingly complex task for police. Navratri ranks among the busiest times of year for Gujarat Police, who deploy thousands of personnel across garba grounds, control rooms and roads to maintain order through the festival period.