A section of the gathering during the protest-cum-solidarity rally organised by the Dimapur Eastern Nagaland Students’ Union at the Town Hall in Dimapur on June 9. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express News
Dimapur | June 9
Putting an end to the defensive silence surrounding minor abuse echoed loud at a programme in Dimapur. The programme was a ‘community stakeholder consultation on child protection and POCSO Act awareness’ organised by the Nagaland NGOs Forum (NNF) in collaboration with the Nagaland Schools' Alliance (NSA) at the Town Hall, on June 9, under the tagline— Stand with Her: Peaceful Awareness campaign. It had resource persons from various professional backgrounds.
Through the event, the event organisers extended solidarity to the minor victim in the sexual abuse case in Dimapur, and many others like her.
In his opening remarks, NNF President Andrew Ahoto Sema stated that the gathering was not for agitation, but a collective effort to stand for the 14-year-old victim and seek unbiased justice. He urged the community to expand its mindset to drive societal transformation and appealed to the media to maintain journalistic ethics rather than sensationalising issues for publicity.
Central Nagaland Tribes Council (CNTC) President, Hukiye Yepthomi condemned the abuse of the victim by an individual entrusted with her care. He praised her courage to expose the abuse against her, and the teachers who supported her. He asserted that no social standing can justify a betrayal of trust. “A society is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable members,” Yepthomi said, adding that child protection requires coordinated efforts from parents, schools, and law enforcement.
Naga Women Hoho Dimapur President Y Imlinungla cited the social pressures that often force victims into silence to protect family or clan reputations. She held that traditions must preserve life and dignity rather than shield offenders. “A child who has experienced abuse should never carry the weight of protecting society’s reputation,” she said, warning that silence deepens trauma. She urged citizens to create a culture where complaints of sexual abuse are taken seriously.
Speaking on institutional responsibilities, NSA Executive Member Noune Kire asserted that child protection is a core indicator of institutional integrity. He called on schools to implement formal child protection policies, including the integration of safety education, and equipping teachers to recognise distress. “Policy without practice is symbolic compliance; we require functional compliance,” Kire said, while urging parents to build open communication at home.
Khontele Seb, Coordinator of Dimapur Women for City Impact (DWCI) stated that institutions can no longer remain quiet, calling past silence complicity. “Families have kept quiet to protect reputations... and institutions have shielded perpetrators to save face,” Seb stated. She noted that citizen collaboration is essential to clean up systemic failures and make Dimapur safe and healthy.
The NNF and NSA also submitted a joint representation addressed to the Governor and Chief Minister of Nagaland, urging immediate government action. They demanded fast-tracking impartial justice, a state-funded One-Stop Crisis Centre in Dimapur, and mandatory child protection policies in all schools. Furthermore, the organisations called for increased budget allocations to establish permanent, trauma-informed facilities and long-term rehabilitation units for District Child Welfare Committees (CWCs).
