The messages in social media are full of outrage and justifiably so. The rape and murder of a girl in her prime should never should have happened. She was a student. But the silence of the department is deafening. The HRDD Minister or the Home Minister has not spoken a word. All this after a week of the incident. The simmering anger is now pouring out onto the streets.
There are two ways to politicise this issue. One is not to react and speak of justice. Another is to start framing it in a political sense. Both are not advisable. So the Ministers must speak and assure the people. After all they have been elected to office to ensure the safety and security of all Sikkimese.
The victim was a young daughter of Sikkim. We are all over the news when a daughter of Sikkim brings in glory to our lovely state as was done recently by a basketball player. But not when heinous crimes are done against another. This is not the kind of justice that any society can live with.
Students are on the streets. This is a form of protest which brings into question why the authorities are not able to take swift action. Nothing has happened for a week.
They need to be able to get to the bottom of this. Cannot there be a higher level inquiry? Why cannot authorities think of bringing better informed and trained investigation teams?
At this point, we should not politicise this and neither should be give it any communal colour. We have to find out who did this heinous crime. And all this must be done with alacrity. The wounded especially the victim’s parents need our full support and attention. We do hope that they will be provided with the guidance and counselling that is so necessary at this time.
As for our society at large we need to really think why this kind of crime has entered Sikkim? Sikkim is known a place of peace, harmony and prosperity. We cannot rebrand it adversely through these heinous crimes.
Let us all together keep up the pressure on the Government to deliver justice and cleanse our State.
