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Rape of humanity (October 13) Yet another case of alleged rape by a member of the security forces has come up in the state on October 6 after the memories of the infamous episodes of Ahanjaobi, Pramo, Rose, Thoinu etc. had hardly died down. It is deeply disheartening when womenfolk dared to bare in front of public near the Cheirap Court yesterday in protest against the rape of a housewife at Luwangsangbam by a jawan (soldier) of the 25th Assam Rifles. It is a tragedy that the womenfolk who came out to save the very chastity of women had taken such a stance. Their sentiment could be understood. Nowadays cases of rape by members of the security forces are not rare given the fact that the state is home to several para-military and other central/federal forces because of the law and order situation. However, what draws our attention is the fact that the AP jawan (soldier) as well as the AR authority concerned are equally responsible for the heinous crime. It is still beyond imagination of the common man how the AR personnel was allowed outside the 12 AR campus alone in the first place. He was wielding an AK-47 rifle and was in an inebriated state when he went inside the house of the victim. Was there no other jawan (soldier) or officer to check him or at least keep him under control? Moreover the jawan (soldier) could not have committed the crime in just a few minutes' time. Was there nobody to find out his absence during the long period? These facts should be given proper attention, as it is unpredictable that such incidents will not occur again. Above all these, what needs to be lauded in the latest case is the manner in which the AR authorities handed over the accused to the police without the slightest hint of delay or hesitation. This will send a warning bell to other erring personnel besides doing a lot of good to the image of the security forces which is otherwise freckled either by their lack of co-operation or the seeming postulations of it. There was no proper conclusion to the probe into the Lamdan rape case. The Pramo rape case died down with the conclusion that the army jawan (soldier) attempted molestation. Though jawans were given jail terms in the Ahanjaobi case, other cases had no clear ending. Nobody knows what had happened to the alleged victim or the fate of the personnel allegedly involved in the Lamdan case. However, when viewed from another angle, rape, molestation, seduction or for that matter sodomy fall into the same category, as their intentions are almost the same though practically they could take different meanings. And security personnel treading on the same lines are viewed with the same sense of awe though their punishment varies. This is a social evil. The authorities of the security forces should try to check the errors committed on womenfolk in the once militancy hit Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir from happening again in the state. Though the obscurity of the personnel is quite understandable, the security forces authority should check the menace of rape of civilian women as it amounts to rape of humanity. Such acts need to be condemned by one and all. (Courtesy: The Sangai Express) Back to Top FrontPage Manipur Profiles Features Potpourri Opinions Editorials Books Photos Links Archives Contact Policy/Disclaimer |
