In the last few days the state has been shocked by two major incidents of crimes against women. In the first case, the Longding police arrested six people for forcing teenage girls into sex work in the Itanagar Capital Region after a complaint was lodged by one of the girls. In the second incident, a 13-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped by five persons in Daporijo, Upper Subansiri district. The police have arrested all five persons involved in the crime. These are deeply worrying incidents. In recent years, several cases of rape, including trafficking of young girls into prostitution, are being reported in the state.
Once these were alien to the state and such crimes were reported only from mainland India by the news channels. However, with each passing day, heinous crimes are being reported in Arunachal. This is a matter of serious concern. With a growing population, the chances of crime-related incidents increasing remain but the sudden rise in crime against women in Arunachal is deeply troubling. The people of this state have always been proud of its womenfolk. Everyone came together to abolish some of the worst anti-women practices like forced and child marriage in the past. The women always felt safe and people took pride in it. But the situation is changing and sadly it is changing for the worse. As a society, there is a need for deep introspection. The police and the law will take their course of action but the state as a whole also needs self-introspection. Where are we going wrong? Why are our women and girl children suddenly feeling unsafe?