Shillong: Rising incidents of crime against women have caused outrage not just in India but across the world. On a day when the US criticised India over the state of crime against women, alleged militants shot at a woman from point blank range and blew off her head for resisting molestation in Meghalaya's South Garo Hills district.
The shocking incident took place outside the woman's house on Tuesday evening. The Meghalaya Police said her five children who were locked up in the house along with their father by the assailants, saw how they assaulted her and later shot her in the head.
The alleged militants fired at the woman six times. The attackers allegedly belong to the terrorist outfit, Garo National Liberation Army. The terror group has several cases of murder, kidnapping and extortion lodged against them.
Seeking a report into the killing of the woman, the Union Home Ministry has written to the state government expressing concern at the security situation in the state. According to sources, a probe is underway to ascertain if the brutal incident was a result of personal enmity.
Urging all activists to come together to condemn the cases of crime against women, Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said, "The government would like to urge all civil activist's groups, human rights activists and all the citizens to come forward to condemn the most heinous act of human rights violation by the militant outfit. It is not the time for blame game."
He also confirmed that the people who perpetrated the crime have been identified. "They definitely belong to the terrorist organisations called the Garo National Liberation Army. We are sending a delegation led by the Home Minister and we have a scheme under which victims are compensated," he said.
He added that the government will be focussing on the need to look at the children of the woman who are panic stricken after incident as it is likely to have a lot of bearing on their psychology. "We need to access the amount of mental agony the children must have been subjected to. We will take all the measures required to take care of the children," he said.
However, the Meghalaya government is facing the heat from the Opposition who have blamed the government for the deteriorating state of law and order situation in the state. "I strongly condemn the incident and am worried over the Garo Hills situation which is worsening every passing day. This has never been the case in the past. The state government has failed in tackling the situation. We have met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju and submitted a petition on deteriorating law and order in Meghalaya. We demand an independent enquiry into the incident," Member of Parliament from Tura PA Sangma said.
Minister of State for Development of the North Eastern Region General (retired) VK Singh also raised concerns over the incident. "Incident in Meghalaya is deplorable. Could never imagine an incident like this in a state where women are respected more than anywhere else," Singh tweeted.
The incident came close on the heels of countrywide outrage over the gangrape and murder of two teenaged cousins in UP's Badaun district. The girls, reported missing by their families on May 27 night, were found hanging from a tree the next morning.
The rising number of crime cases in India is also proving to be a nightmare for the tourism sector. A report by the WTTC India Initiative states that Indian tourism is facing immense negative publicity due to recurring incidents of rape and molestation. The WTTC India Initiative report says recent cases of violence against women have adversely impacted the country's image internationally. The report recommends that the government must ensure speedy trials and sensitise both state government leaders and the police.
The United Nations and the United States of America, too, have expressed concerns over rising cases of crime against women in India. A statement by UN Secretary General Ban-Ki-Moon says he is specially appalled by the brutal rape and gruesome murder of two teenaged women in India.
"We say no to the dismissive, destructive attitude of 'boys will be boys," the UN Secretary General said in reply to Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's recent callous statemnet over rape cases. "Rapists should not be given the death sentence. Sometimes boys make mistakes. My government will try to change the law," Yadav had said.
While the US on Tuesday, expressed its optimism about ties with India, it has also criticised the country's poor record of protecting women. The US said it is "horrified" at reports of sexual violence and murders in India and it also applauded the role of individuals, government officials and civil society groups working to protect the survivors.
"Like so many in India, we were horrified to learn of these violent sexual assaults and murders. Our thoughts are with the victims families during this difficult time. As we have said, changing laws and changing attitudes is hard work," State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf said.
The former USIBC president Ron Somers said the urgent need of the hour is to double-down on law and order, particularly to protect women and to administer the law fairly to all sections of society.
Amidst mounting criticism across the country, the newly sworn-in government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces a tough task of tackling the riising cases of crime agianst women and taking the much-needed steps to provide the security that they promised in their poll manifesto.
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