Dimapur/Wokha, July 19 (MExN): Following the ‘hair chopping’ incident in Wokha over alleged peddling of drugs, the Nagaland State Commission for Women (NSCW) and the Wokha district administration have flayed the incident as violation of human rights and not within ‘boundaries of law.’
In a press statement, the NSCW said that it attention is drawn to the reported “abhorrent act of crime against two women at Wokha, wherein the local youth organisation indulged in chopping off their hair."
This is vehemently condemned by the NSCW as an “unwarranted act of taking law into their own hands which violated the human rights of the two women.”
In this connection, the Commission stated that while the “alarming rate of drug menace” is a burning issue of the State, among many social evils, it needs to be dealt with holistic perspective.
The various rehabilitation and restorative measures should be initiated from a holistic perspective as one of the road map to effectively fight against the existing drug menace, it stated.
The NSCW Chairperson W Nginyeih Konyak also gave a clarion call to all the district administrations and law enforcement agencies for mass awareness and sensitisation programmes on women’s safety and security.
This is the need of the hour and must be taken up at the grassroot level, she asserted.
Konyak further noted that it requires collective effort and community involvement.
Certain strategic and convergence effort of various stakeholder’s such as District Administration, Law enforcement Agencies, Educational Institutions, Churches and NGO’s can give more impetus to the safety and security of women and public in general of the State, the Chairperson added.
Meanwhile, in a letter to the President, Lotha Eloe Hoho as well as President of Tsumang A/B Youth organisation, Deputy Commissioner Wokha Ajit Kumar Ranjan said that the incident was 'not within the boundaries of law.'
“Based on based on social media reports and the police report received the action taken by your organisations, it appears that the path chosen by you to deal with the suspected case of drug peddling is not within the boundaries of law and will prove to be self-defeating in our collective fight against the drug menace,” it stated.
Further such action may also aggravate the problem of stigmatisation of the persons affected by the drug abuse and hamper the efforts of the community and government in reaching out to them for their de-addiction and treatment, it pointed out.
If there are grievances against any law enforcement agency, it is advised to first make an appeal to this office (DC) for rectification, it added.
In the letter, the DC Wohka also reminded the organisations of the grim view taken by the Supreme Court on such issue in a judgement dated July 17, 2018.
“Law has to be regarded as the foundation of a civilised society... every citizen is entitled to enjoy the rights and interest bestowed under the constitutional and statutory law... the majesty of law cannot be sullied simply because an individual or a group generate the attitude that they have been empowered by the principles set out in law to take its enforcement into their own hands and gradually become law unto themselves and punish the violator on their own assumption and in the manner in which they deem fit,” it read.
“ They forget that the administration of law is conferred on the law enforcing agencies and no one is allowed to take law into their own hands... just as one is entitled to fight for his rights in law, the other is entitled to be treated as innocent till he is found guilty after a fair trial. No act of a citizen is to be adjudged by any kind of community under the guise of protectors of law,” the judgement added.
Further, the DC Wokha’s letter noted that fundamental right of citizens to life and liberty as enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution is sacrosanct for every citizen and should be protected.
“While the problem of drug abuse remains an acute challenge, we can win the battle only with collective and cooperative approach of all the stakeholders within the boundaries of law,” it said.
“Any extreme measures outside such boundaries will not only make your organisation vulnerable to punitive action but also distract from the main adversary and harm the fight against drugs,” it added.
Accordingly, the DC Wokha urged the two organisations to take note of the above and act within the boundaries of law by providing proactive information to the law enforcement agencies and raising awareness amongst the public regarding the drug menace.
“Through positive and constructive cooperation of all alone, can we win the war on drugs,” it added.
Meanwhile, with reference to the representation by the two organisations dated July 17 urging the need for collective effort to control the drug menace, the DC reminded that during the celebration of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26, several joint meetings were held with various stakeholders.
The severity of the drug problem, in Nagaland in general and in Wokha in particular, where the drug abuse is significantly higher than the national average was underlined, he said,
It was urged upon the civil society organisations to provide all possible support by sharing information with the law enforcement agencies and raising of awareness among the vulnerable populations, he added.
While your continued concern in this area is worth appreciation, the action was not within the boundaries of law, he highlighted.
