GANGTOK: Former Hamro Sikkim Party (HSP) president and activist Dr Bina Basnett has expressed shock and grief on the recovery of a minor girl’s body from Pangthang near Gangtok.
“The tragic news of the dead body of a minor student found in a forest area at Pangthang has shaken the Sikkimese society once again.
The rate at which the crimes are increasing in Sikkim is beyond comprehension.
NCRB 2021 reported that Sikkim had the highest rate of crime against children amongst states.
The number of increasing cases of missing people, molestations, violence and now the increasing cases of murder is completely unacceptable.
Where are we heading towards as a society, as a State, as humans?” said Dr Bina in a press statement on Sunday.
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Dr Bina called for an extra effort from the civil society and the government to address such kind of heinous crimes.
“The concerned authorities should rigorously follow the case.
“No stone should be left unturned to find the perpetrator. The fate of the culprit should send a strong message out,” she said.
Dr Bina urged the State government to come out with the accurate data in public domain so that better studies can be conducted in order to find the root cause.
She expressed that studies should answer questions on whether the perpetrators are from the State or outside, the mindset of people committing such heinous crimes and the role of substance abuse to address the issues in a systematic manner.
The government should create greater awareness working together with NGOs and increasing the community participation and take steps to create child helplines, to include POCSO and relevant Acts in school curriculum, and to have a database on people entering the State from outside, suggested Dr Bina.