In yet another disturbing incident, a nine-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted, leading to her death in Bana in Bichom district. The stepfather has been arrested in this regard. In the last decade, many disturbing incidents of crimes against women have been reported from various parts of Arunachal Pradesh. The girl child in particular is the worst victim. With each passing year, the number of crimes against women is rising at an alarming rate in the state. Some of them are so disturbing that one cannot imagine that fellow human beings would inflict such brutality on another human.
This points towards a disturbing trend. For a long time, the tribal society has prided itself on protecting women and keeping the state safe for the womenfolk. But things are changing and changing for the worse. At regular intervals, reports of crimes against women keep surfacing. There is a need for deep introspection. There should be intense debate and discussion on this topic. The criminals are no longer outsiders. They are among us and living together with us in the society. The police alone will not be able to curb such crimes. The civil society bodies also will have to play their part in this regard. Everyone should come together.