From Women Police Station Kohima alone, as many as 12 cases
of crime against women, including five rape cases, have been registered this
year, till November 24, while the Nagaland State Commission for Women (NSCW)
legal aid cell has received approximately 10 more cases, as per the official
data. This is from a state that is considered to be one of the safest in India
for women, and that too from only one police station. Though the data for the
whole state is yet to be out, it is obvious from reports that crimes against
women are on an upward trend, which is a matter of serious concern. On Monday
too, which was International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women,
it emerged that a professor at Nagaland University Lumami campus allegedly
assaulted and verbally abused a female assistant professor from the same
department, thus marring the occasion, which is meant for raising awareness about
crimes against women like rape, domestic violence and other forms of violence.
What could be the reasons for the surge in the number of such cases in the
state? Is it a result of awareness campaigns over the years? Well, the reasons
can be manifold. What we are sure of is that Nagaland may be relatively safer
for women than most Indian states but it’s not as safe as we think. Women and
girls are abused and assaulted at homes, public spaces, institutions, on the
streets, and almost everywhere.
Some may argue that the low crime rate against women in the
state is because of Nagas’ strong ethical values, culture, traditions, social
set up, way of life and customary law. While this is partly true, it is also an
impediment to justice. For instance, the public loses faith in the justice
system when crimes as heinous as rape are settled under Naga customary law with
a lenient punishment. Being a patriarchal society, the stigma associated with
crimes, including rape, also discourages people from fighting injustice.
Wife-beating is a severe human rights violation but it’s not uncommon in Naga
society even today. Many continue to silently bear inhumane torture from their
alcoholic husbands, mainly because of economic insecurity and other factors.
Education and aggressive awareness campaigns about human rights may have
encouraged many to speak up against injustice but lots need to be done to
eliminate violence against women. In the context of the Nagas, discriminatory
practices like lack of alimony, no inheritance rights (ancestral), etc. should
be done away with. Most importantly, perpetrators should be penalised as per
the law and promptly. Everyone is equal before the law.
