Outrage over controversial death of housewife
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: April 27, 2023 -

YET again, the controversy surrounding the death of a young housewife on April 22 in a Thangmeiband locality has sparked demand for prompt investigation, disclosure of the circumstances leading to her demise and severest form of punishment for the perpetrator(s), if any.

Pending official disclosure about circumstances leading to the incident, the Ningthoukhong-based Joint Action Committee (JAC) formed in connection with the controversial death of RK Bidya has already pointed finger of accusation to the victim's husband and in-laws.

The police may have started investigation into the case, but pictures posted on the social media platforms showing bruised marks on her body indicate that she could have been subjected to physical atrocities.

The JAC had even gone to the extent of cautioning the government authorities that it would be compelled to initiate appropriate action against the 'perpetrators' in case the latter fails to crack the case and punish the guilty ones at the soonest possible.

Such a tough stand of JAC implies that not everybody is satisfied with the standard system of delivering justice.

In fact, whenever unnatural or controversial death cases crop up people from the victim's locality convene public meeting and generally adopt resolutions to resort to agitation, rather than wait for outcome of the conventional process involving the executive-judiciary combo.

There were even instances when JAC-led agitated mob tried to storm the court's premises to demand befitting punishment, mainly death penalty, against the accused or convicted persons, thereby underscoring that the protracted legal procedures is not acceptable to some.

Moreover, violence against young girls and women imply that responses by communities, religious institutions, government, international conventions, stringent legislations and punitive measures are not enough to contain the menace.

While there might be different premises for the perpetrators to target the softer victims, it wouldn't be presumptuous to state that an insensitive and unaccountable justice delivery system and law enforcement machinery have failed to deter various forms of crimes.

Increasing number of cases related to murder of girls and women as well as controversial deaths remaining unsolved also cast aspersion on efficiency of the law enforcement agencies, especially those tasked to conduct probe, as people believe that they are trained to hunt and nail criminals.

As violence against women and children is considered social, economic, developmental, legal, educational, human rights and health issues, existence of an efficient police force backed by a soft-hearted legal system seems to be the need of the hour, for it is obvious that merely enacting laws to prevent crime and brutality against women wouldn't have any deterrent effect on the devilish intentions of rogue elements.

Violence against women and girls is rooted in gender-based discrimination and social norms and gender stereotypes that perpetuate such violence.

As on date, efforts have mainly focused on responses and services for the survivors as and when there are incidents of violence against women.

Thus, as resolved and proposed in a reported meeting of the newly floated United Women Rights Defender, government authorities shouldn't fret from proper investigation of cases related with crimes against women, strive to deliver justice in time, fill up vacant post of judges at the earliest and install DNA machine in the state to aid the investigators.