It was only last year that news of a cruel lynching of a tribal man in Kerala disturbed the nation, shattering the collective conscience of people. Madhu, 27, who belonged to the tribal hamlet of Chindakki at Attappdi, was bullied and beaten up by some men for allegedly stealing food.

The men from the mob also made a video of the incident that went viral on social media. But, while the police managed to rescue Madhu from the mob, he collapsed en route to the hospital and the postmortem reports confirmed his death due to brutal beating that caused several internal and external injuries.

To ensure the safety of her people, Madhu’s sister Chandrika took the decision to serve the country. It was a proud moment for Chandrika, being a woman in uniform among the 74 tribal recruits who passed out of the police training college on Thrissur on Wednesday as a civil police officer.

Chandrika joined the contingent through a special recruitment drive and became a part of the first battalion in the state comprising of tribal cadets from three districts, Wayanad, Idukki, and Palakkad. “I want to surge ahead leaving behind bitter memories. As a police officer, I will ensure justice to all victims,” shared Chandrika, a B.Com graduate.

It was on February 23, 2018 that Chandrika waited for her interview for the recruitment of police trainee, as Madhu’s body laid in the mortuary of Agaly Government Hospital. The girl braved through the test, and later, on receiving the appointment order from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, she broke down.

During the one year of rigorous training that the officers underwent, they were trained in martial arts, swimming, driving, high-altitude fighting, and rescue operations. The selected will now be deployed in fringe areas of forests near their homes; among the 74 cadets, 24 are women.

H/T: The Hindustan Times