Officially, Nagaland is considered the ‘safest’ place for women given the low registration of crimes both under the Indian Penal Code and Special and Local Laws (SLL).
Data in the annual ‘Crime in India’ published by the National Crime Records Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs often paints a rosy picture regarding crime against women in Nagaland.
For instance, the latest 2019 report showed that the consistently low rate in Nagaland has been diminishing in the last three years. From 79 in 2017, it decreased marginally to 75 in 2018 before witnessing a drastic fall by over 42% in 2019 to 43. Nagaland’s status was best among the 29 states; overall, only the Union Territories of Daman & Diu, D&N Haveli and Lakshadweep had better rates than Nagaland.
However, narrative by activists and campaigners as well as other informal and formal data on gender-based violence (GBV) present a different picture. A recent report in this newspaper in relation with the United Nations’ 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence - an annual international campaign that kicked off on November 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women), and running till December 10 (UN Human Rights Day), heavily contrasted with the NCRB’s data.
A campaigner revealed that in Dimapur alone, a total of 16 rape cases and 93 various cases of domestic violence were reported in January to October this year. “This data does not include cases that are known but were not registered because of ‘complex and sensitive issues’ that had come about during the intervening period,” the report noted. (Read ‘Shatter the Silence,’ The Morung Express, November 29)
As reflected elsewhere and observed by the UN, the combination of economic and social stresses along with other lockdown measures, have dramatically increased the number of women facing domestic abuse, as self-quarantine puts them in perpetual proximity with their abusers.
In another report based on the National Family Health Survey (4th series) conducted in 2015-16 showed that 12% of women age 15-49 have experienced physical violence and while 6% have experienced sexual violence. (Read ‘Domestic violence in Nagaland: Societal pressure, stigma hold back victims from seeking help,’ The Morung Express, November 19).
Among others, the survey found out that 13% of ever-married women have experienced spousal physical or sexual violence from their current husband or, if not currently married, from their most recent husband while 10% report spousal emotional violence.
Tellingly, about three-fourths of women (74%) have neither sought help nor told anyone about the violence. Fear of social stigma and ingrained patriarchy regarding social norms, and lack of awareness often act as impediment to justice. Existing gender norms in the society ensured that violence is seen as ‘justifiable’ even by the victim.
Interestingly, if one looks at the NCRB data cited above, in 2019, ‘Cruelty by Husband or his relatives’ in Nagaland, a punishable offence under IPC, was nil.
“Perpetrators of sexual violence escape justice, while their victims are trapped between exhortations by women's advocacy groups not to ‘suffer quietly' and the social stigma attached to sexual violence,” observed Naga Anthropologist Dolly Kikon in 2016 discussing “Sexual violence and the culture of impunity in Nagaland.”
The situation has not change since then.
The existence of GBV not only affects the victim but also reflective of an inherent vice in the society perpetuated intentionally or otherwise.
Tackling the issue also starts with enabling a safe space for the victims as well as shifting focus from seeing them “as victims to seeing them as survivors, actors and agents of change.” Political participation and efforts to increase economic empowerment would go a long way in enabling victims to come out of abusive situations.
General stereotype on gender-based role in the society must be tackled early and the normative change in both formal and non-formal education must be effected through policy intervention to create awareness and sensitivity.
The low official figure in GBV in Nagaland must also be reflective of how back channel ‘solutions’ are engineered in a closely-knitted society, often based on ‘compromise’ policy. However, for any solution to violence outside the legal realm, it is for the perpetrator to amend, and not for the victim to compromise. The sooner the message is driven home, the better it would be to ensure more equitable society, gender wise.
