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The brutal murder of a 17-year-old girl, whose body was discovered at the premises of St. Clare Higher Secondary School in Dimapur last week, has bruised and shaken the conscience of the people of Nagaland. According to the police, it was found out during the preliminary investigation that the accused had befriended the victim on social media platform and convinced her to go out for a walk on that fateful day. Dozens of civil society organisations have come forward to condemn the alleged rape and murder case. Every right-minded person should condemn such criminal acts. In the meantime, we should also know that this is not an isolated case of violence against women. The state has witnessed several incidents of crime being committed against women, including minors this year itself. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report may have placed the state among the least when it comes to the number of criminal acts against women, with only eight rape cases being reported in 2019, but there could be many unreported cases. In fact, the numbers given in NCRB report could be just the tip of the iceberg as most people in rural areas and tribal societies choose not to file a complaint because of various reasons, including sheer ignorance about law as well as to avoid social stigma.
According to the Health and Family Welfare statistics in India 2019-2020 report, which is based on survey findings (NFHS 2015-2016), a whopping 12.7% of married women in Nagaland -- 13.6 % in rural areas and 11.3% in urban areas -- said that they have experienced spousal violence. The data provided in the report showed that 1.95% of married women in the state have experienced violence during their pregnancy, and more than 1000 women aged 14 to 49 years have experienced physical and sexual violence. It also went on to say that people committing physical violence are mostly those known to the victims. These findings have negated the claims made by some from the state on gender equality. In fact, incidents of violence against women in the Naga society have increased over the years. This trend is alarming and needs to be thwarted. Condemnation through press releases along is not enough. It is imperative for the society, judiciary and law enforcing agencies to work in tandem to curb this social evil. The police should not hesitate in filing complaints and FIRs against the criminals. Based on the severity of offence and according to the law of the land, the court should sentence the culprits with befitting punishment. It is necessary for the court to serve justice to the victims on time and avoid dragging on for years. Society too should not protect the culprits just because they belong to their community or are from influential families. The fight against crime, irrespective of gender, will be an utter failure as long as we look at crime from a tribalistic angle. The virtue of respecting other fellow human beings and standing for truth should be taught and imbibed at an early age -- from homes and at educational institutions. Only then can we build a safe and secure society for ourselves and for our children.