The death of any child is a tragedy. The murder of a child is a reprehensible one.
A spate of child murders in Meghalaya within a few days of each other has understandably put the whole state on edge.
Three children, aged 4, 7 and 13, have lost their lives and the public want answers and we want punishment for those responsible.
What has added to the sense of unease are the disappearances of two teenage girls in Shillong in the past few days. Thankfully both were found safe – one had gone to a birthday party without parental permission while the other was in the company of a “boyfriend” (who might still be found in breach of the law as he is an adult and the girl a minor).
In the midst of these cases were two other false alarms concerning children – one of an alleged assault in the Jaiaw neighbourhood and another of theft committed against a minor. Both cases proved to be false, police discovered, but they too had their part in the increased sense of insecurity pervading the state.
Decent people everywhere want children to be safe from harm. What is worrying is that protective emotions can boil over into something more primal, vicious and even barbaric.
A couple of days ago a mentally ill man was almost lynched by villagers after he was found wandering the area aimlessly at night. He was suspected of being a ‘menshohnoh’, someone who participates in a type of black magic that is said to be practised in certain corners of Khasi Hills. Black magic is, of course, bogus superstition but it is part of cultures everywhere and there are certain types that include aspects of human sacrifice.
But the fear of evil can sometimes be as dangerous as the evil itself.
Imagine the distress and terror in the mentally ill person as a crowd was determined to lynch him. Vigilantes demanded that the “boyfriend” of the teenage girl be brought before them. Readers of HP disagreed with describing the man accused of the rape and murder of the 13-year-old as a “suspect” as they were ready to convict him themselves on the basis that he had reportedly confessed to the police. Another reader demanded that no lawyer should represent him in his legal defence.
The law should be paramount in any society but Indian justice often takes too long, leading to a loss of faith in the system. The public needs to see justice done quickly but it also needs to be done fairly, according to correct procedure. Otherwise too many innocent people could become victims of grave injustices.
Punishment comes after the crime has been committed and what we really also need is prevention. This involves community action and better policing but that won’t prevent every crime – in at least two of the three murders, the victims appeared to know their killers. Oftentimes it is not a case of “stranger danger” as the perpetrators are known beforehand. Our children also need personal safety education – not just self-defence training but also how to recognise danger, signs of grooming, manipulation and abuse.
We have much to improve to protect the most vulnerable and precious members of society.
