Citizens, especially parents have been gripped by fear these past months due to a series of alarming incidents that have hit close to home and not some distant incidents on the news channels. Every day, families are left shaken and fearful for their children’s well-being as murderers and robbers seem to be on the loose, and these perpetrators after committing a murder or theft never seem to be snared. There’s also a fear of their child being harmed by drug users and while fear of them falling victims to numerous other social evils haunts the parents.
The recent murder of a 4-year-old child has sent shockwaves across the state with the demand for justice growing louder emanating from various organisations. This is not the first case. Last year in February a 10-year-old boy was killed and his body dumped in the garden of a house in Umtyngar village, Ri Bhoi and then in September, the body of a 5-year old and a woman were discovered in the Umshing river in Mawlai Mawiong. The perpetrator (s) of the crime is still roaming free.
Parental fear of children’s victimization has always been a major issue in human societies and handling them is the biggest untold challenge of parenting. The State has not gone that far to conduct a research or examine on how fear of crime has and will affect the society in future, but the fear of a child to be at risk of exploitation or violent crime are topics of discussions in families, tea shops and market places, thereby forming a condition which is called the ‘culture of fear’ that emerges from numerous cautions. Studies say fear of crime affects quality of life and can lead to regular anxiety and behavioural changes, including avoiding specific areas, restricting daily activities, and fortifying one’s home.
Who is not worried about crime? Anxiety over personal safety has overtaken any other concerns among the citizens. Though it cannot be measured, the atmosphere has already been created by sources influencing the public’s perceptions such as news, word of mouth and social media as the big players.
Rumours are flying around adding fuel to fear psychosis building up. These are amplified by social media and insidious whatsapp messages stoke the fears. For there was an unsubstantiated one which was being shared asking people of a particular village to be aware of an unnumbered black scorpio which tried, successfully, to pick up a child. In a situation where people are already scared and jumpy, such messages are a recipe for disaster, something the state is not new to.
There have been many instances of hysterical reactions from the public which still scar the mind. No one can forget the Syntung incident. That too was a case of the locals fearing for their children’s safety, which led to vigilante killings of innocents. The state must wake up to these dark happenings in the state. Are they random? Or is there a pattern? The only sure way to ease the public tension is to catch hold of the murderers and punish them as per the law. The sooner the better before public patience runs out.
