Separate treatment for widows of rebels and that of Security Forces - Is it justified?
Source: Imphal Times Desk

Imphal, February 24 2018: Chief Minister N.Biren Singh new initiative to stop all kind of mob violence which some even term it as mob justice is one of the most appreciating effort .

He had rightly pointed out that no good is brought by mob violence as it would tantamount the existing law of the land as well as image of a good governance.

Before, N.Biren Singh led government came to power, people in the state have been experiencing the souring and intolerable mob violence at many part of the state.

A house being burnt, a family being thrown out and even mothers, sisters, and father being thrown out of the locality for a crime committed by a person.

Showing his concern the Chief Minister had time and again stated that why should the members of the family of those criminal be punished for the crime committed by a member of the family.

This is a common understanding and everyone of us knows that the Chief Minister is right and almost all people support any such measures to counter mob violence.

Well, when Chief Minister N.Biren Singh said that no family member should be punished for a crime committed by a family member, he meant to say that not everyone of his family is criminal.

The Chief Minister is right.

One family member's criminal act cannot make all the members as criminal.

Well there is government scheme for financial assistance to widows and children of victims of conflict.

If a person, civilian died in cross firing between security force and armed insurgence they are entitled to get some amount of financial assistance from the government.

This scheme does not cover widows of alleged rebels or say terrorist in the language of the government.

Widows and children of insurgences or say terrorist suffer the same like those of the security forces or civilian.

Of course the civilian victim if happen to be a government employee or the security force somewhat were left with certain facilities.

But when it comes to the widows and Children of the rebels then they are left with no choice.

These children and widow of insurgence even though have no connection with what their father had done, were treated discriminately with other women.

They are left on their own to survive.

Something seriously is wrong the way that financial assistances are provided to victims of conflict.

On one hand if the widows and children of rebels are left with such attitude than there is a possibility that they felt discriminatory and are being punished for the crime that they have not committed.

What difference does it make for a mob punishing the family of a criminal and for the state government treating widows and children of rebels who were killed in encounter or alleged encounter as two separate categories? Widows are widow, no matter her husband was a civilian, security forces or armed rebel group.

The financial assistance provided by the government to widow should not be discriminated.

The system need to be changed.

Its time to ponder in this specific issue as reducing crime rate is now priority of the government running the state.

Comment