Shillong, May 16: Amidst heavy shower of rain, residents of Malki including young and old people came out in large number with heavy hearts to join the protest rally organised by the Seng Samla Malki besides expressing their solemn grief over the brutal rape incident of a 7 year old girl by some un known miscreants that took place in Malki last week.
The protest march was carried out in order to pressurized the government to come up with a stringent law against those culprits involved in such in humane crime.
Gathered at Malki community hall, the Seng Samla lead the concerned citizens through Nongshilang, Khlieh Shnong, Dhanketi and culminating in Malki ground where a public rally was held.
Concerned over the rising crime such as rape against minor’s in particular and women in general various speakers opined that the government should come up with a strong action against the perpetrators.
However, they also lamented that lack of stringent action has given a chance for the perpetrators to go scot free.
State Commission for Women chairperson Thelin Phanbuh while addressing the gathering said, “Government must appoint a strong public prosecutor so that the culprit doesn’t get away because of weak prosecution from the government side”
While caling upon the women legislator to take serious measures and bring about assurances that such incident would not take place in near future, Malki Presbyterian school principal P Nongneng called on women legislators of Meghalaya to take serious note of the rape incident and hoped that they would take steps in seeing that government formulate policy that ensure “zero tolerance” to such heinous crime.
Another speaker suggested that criminals who indulge in such heinous crime must not only be punished by law but should also be ostracized by the society.
Besides, after the meeting a five points memorandum was submitted to the Meghalaya chief secretary WMS Pariat by Malki Dorbar Shnong secretary B Warjri asking among others to hand over the investigation of rape case the crime branch of the state police as it felt that this branch has professionals who are competent in handling such case.
The memorandum also the Chief Secretary of the State to issue necessary order so that the crime branch could take up the investigation, apprehend and punish the culprits even as it asked the government to provide post-trauma counseling to the victim and also provide ex-gratia payment to her guardian.
The incident had outraged the residents of Malki and other localities which made the Malki Dorbar Shnong to organize the protest rally and pressurize the government to take the case seriously, apprehend the criminals and give exemplary punishment that would be a deterrent to other likeminded criminals.
The protest march however was not confined to the residents of Malki locality as ngos and prominent personalities of the city like legislator Jemino Mawthoh and State Commission for Women chairperson Thelin Phanbuh also joined the procession. The student community turned out in large number.(SP News)
