And 2009 started off on a sad note – three reported gruesome rapes were committed on the first day of the year. What a way to inaugurate the ninth year of the third millennium! If this was how 2009 unfolded, will this year be worse than the just concluded year as far as crimes against women and children are concerned? I am not prophesizing, but just highlighting an inkling based on how 2009 was welcomed vis-à-vis the atrocities against women.

Rapes and murders of women and children are rising by the day, and it is unfortunate that our society is not waking up to the fact that this is like a viral disease that will, unless treated, overcome us. We read about minors being raped almost every day. Media splash stories of atrocities committed against the fair sex and minors, sometimes with a little bit of hype, and sometimes indulging in needless yellow journalism. The public read/view such stories but with limited contemplation on the trauma undergone by the victims of gruesome violence and the grief of the affected family. It is, but natural. Why should we bother? It has not happened in our homes. But the big question is, for some of us who don’t care about what is happening around, are we really sure our children are well protected?

In December 2008, the statistics compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) for 2007 reveal a telling tale of increasing crimes against women. There were 1,85,312 crimes against women in the entire country in 2007. Crimes against women in general in the country have been increasing every year. In 2003, there were 1,40,601 cases, in 2004 1,54,333 cases, in 2005 1,55,553 cases and in 2006 there were 1,64,765 cases. Another disturbing trend is that the rate of crime has increased against women. The overall rate of crimes against women increased marginally from 14.7 per cent in 2006 to 16.3 per cent in 2007.

Apart from the all-India statistics provided by the NCRB, the crime statistics vis-à-vis women in our own state is astounding. According to the statistics put up by the Meghalaya Police in its website, from January to October, 2008, there were 178 cases relating to crime against women with East Khasi Hills district leading the pack with 77 cases. There were 70, 110, 138, 176 and 174 crimes against women in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively.

Statistics apart and though public memory is unusually short, who can forget the anonymous cross at Them Mawbah or the cold-blooded murder of two women at Ban Um Tyngkhon or the recovery of three dead bodies (a mother and her two children) at Mawkriah or the rape and murder of a six year old at Sohryngkham or the rape of a 12 year old by her uncle on Christmas Day at Sadew? Statistics are not mere statistics. Stories are not just stories. They reflect a precarious trend and indicate the vulnerability of women in a state which boasts of having high regard for the fair sex.

In the sensational murder of Darihun Lyngwi on June 12 - the episode which led to the imposing of restrictions on bars by the district administration – the perpetrators are yet to be brought to justice. Investigations are still on, but no major headway has been achieved so far. It can take months or even years for the police to apprehend the culprits who were responsible for ending Darihun’s life. For a while, Darihun’s untimely death did send shivers down the spine, it shook the conscience of most of us and made the administration sit up and put reasonable restriction on bars.

Then there was the ghastly murder of two women at Ban Um Tyngkhon, Mawpdang – one of the worst in the history of crimes against women in our state – on September 13. They had gone with three men whom they were familiar with. The lifeless bodies of Jubiliancy Kharmawlong, a mother of five children, and Wanlangki Papeng, a student of Alpine College, were recovered on the following morning which was a Sunday. But kudos to the police force for promptly arresting the culprits just two days after the recovery of the two bodies. Fullmoon Dhar, a man with several cases of rape, murder, extortion and kidnapping, Khrawborlang Marbaniang and Micky Suchiang were all apprehended on September 16.

Came another Sunday and the cops got busy again due to the recovery of three bodies – a mother and her two young children - in a narrow ditch at Mawkriah (September 21). The rumors that were doing the rounds were that she had killed herself, but then how could she have put herself and her two children inside the shallow ditch and commit suicide, which according to witnesses, was impossible? The investigation into the death of Darist Kharmuti and her children is still inconclusive while the perpetrator(s) is/are on the rampage. Will they ever get justice?

The past year also witnessed an unprecedented rise in juvenile delinquency and violence against children. Minors were raped or murdered or both by minors themselves and by elders. Two little girls were raped by a boy of 14 years in Mawryngkneng, a six year old was raped and murdered by a 16 year old lad at Shohryngkham, a 12 year old was raped by two boys at Demthring, a 12 year old was raped by her paternal uncle on Christmas day at Sadew…these were among the few reported cases which came into the public domain through media.

In cases concerning juvenile delinquency, the culprits are easily let off. The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 (formerly known as the Juvenile Justice Act) does not provide for a minor to be ‘punished’ and hence, these get away with the crime. Legal experts from the prosecution put up no objections, and the perpetrator is acquitted. Many such crimes go unpunished as the Act does not provide for any punishment. As the saying goes ‘Spare the rod, and spoil the child’. This Act should be revamped, so that minors committing serious crimes are punished to a certain degree which will make them realise the consequents of wrongdoing. Juvenile delinquency, if not appropriately remedied, will aggravate crimes of larger proportions. It’s high time the Act is amended to ensure justice is done to the victims.

We usually find that persons behind rapes and murders of women are most commonly their closest associates or relatives. There are cases where father rapes daughter. Uncle rapes niece. Brother rapes sister. There is no end to it. And then there are unreported cases where the families are scared to file a First Information Report (FIR) as they are petrified they would have to spend a big amount and especially if the culprit is from a rich family. They know that justice is a far cry for them. To an extent, they are correct in thinking so. Hardly anyone will help them if they are poor. Hence, the victims and their immediate families quietly persist with the trauma. News is also suppressed by certain localities, where they feel the name of the locality will be tarnished. Why don’t we realise we are all part of the society and if the society goes down, we too will go down? What future are we giving to our children?

Apart from rapes and murders of juveniles, there are other crimes against children in our state. There are people who make money by pushing minors into flesh trade. There are countless mushrooming hotels in the city that thrive on this. There are numerous pimps that are preying in connivance with those working in hotels. The little girls, the age of our children, coming from poor families, are being lured by these brutes. Cases have been registered against some pimps, who used to take underage girls to hotels in Police Bazaar and force them into rooms to have sex with clients. How far these unscrupulous people are brought to justice depends. Pimps have the guts to boast that if they pay Rs.50,000 they are let off!

This flesh trade racket is happening in most places in the city especially in areas dominated by the underprivileged like in Bangladesh Colony at Pynthorbah and Bihari Colony which stands between Demseiniong and Nongmynsong. These pimps rent small rooms just to run flesh trade. The little girls are threatened and fearing for their life does what they say. There are people who also take advantage of stray children. They groom them to steal and beg. They are at an early stage taught to sniff Dendrite which is easily available in Police Bazaar.

Then there are child labourers . These children are beaten up and made to work 18 hours a day. Slavery or bonded labour is persisting and the culprits are yet to be booked. In the case of two minors rescued from Nongrimmaw, a case has been filed, and to date no action has been taken. In spite of the injury sustained by the girl, due to assault by the owner, the police have not yet arrested her because she is the niece of a politician. Is this justice? What is the use of the gigantic hoarding put up by the Social Welfare department which reads, CHILDREN EXPLOITATION IS THE WORST, if there is no punishment to the offenders?

There are also those who earn by showing ‘blue films’ in rooms just below their shops and residences. School-going boys frequent these video parlours. They bunk school and take refuge in such places. If we go deeper, pornographic videos are also one of the main factors responsible for the increase in rapes. The people who run these video parlours pose around as ‘dignified citizens’ of the town. When apprehended they easily squeeze their way out thanks to their close connection with political higher-ups.

Political interference is a main factor that is helping these perpetrators, so why would the government care? We find that even the greed for money by some investigating officers (IOs) lead to cases lacking in evidence which would then be consigned to the dustbin of history. IO’s should know how to go about a case, but there are only a few dedicated officers who really take up their jobs seriously. But we are not surprised as most police posts are political appointees, recommended by politicians. Look at the case of Fullmoon. He was wanted by the police in numerous crimes and yet he was given shelter in the residence of a police officer! Will action be taken against the erring officer? The answer is NO. Nobody can touch him. Why? Maybe he has paid his way in.

All cases of rapes and murders require that evidences be collected in time and immediate tests be carried out so that cases having fewer witnesses become strong. But look at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) unit here. The FSL unit here is still bereft of state-of-the-art equipments to accelerate tests and examinations with regards to DNA and other investigative examinations. What happened to the police modernization scheme? Where has the money from the scheme disappeared? Does anyone have an answer? Obviously, No! Why? These are made to appear as ‘confidential matters’ which should be out of sight and out of mind.

Crimes against women and children are rising and the government seems to be least bothered. There are many cases of domestic violence, harassment to women, sexual abuse, sexual harassment in workplace and all this in a state where women are believed to be most respected. But there is a silver lining in the cloud thanks to a few police officers, lawyers, judges, and citizens who are willing to stand up against the corrupt system. We also need good legislators who are concerned for the public at large and not those who want to stack their personal coffers. We need tough laws that will put perpetrators of heinous crimes like rape and murder behind bars for life, which would also deter others from committing similar crimes.

At the end of the day we just have to read in the dailies about the rapes and murders as they rise and wolf down our society, which will one day go to the dogs if we DON’T WAKE UP. What is in store for us in 2009? On New Year’s Day a sixteen-year-old was raped by five youth; an eight-year-old was raped by a twenty-year-old; a seventeen-year-old was raped by three youth. Do we care? We should. Why? For the safety of our own kith and kin, neighbourhood, society and state we need to care, we need to stand up for the rights of others apart from our own, we need to make a difference and we need to ensure that crimes against women and minors and juvenile delinquency go down considerably. We need to and we can. Ring out the old, ring in the new.