Editor,
Apropos of the news “Missing 4-year-old girl’s body found; SIT takes over probe” (ST September 16, 2025), there are profound ethical, emotional and legal reasons why social media users including content creators should refrain from uploading or sharing distressing material related to the tragic death of 4-year-old Insaphira Lyngdoh Mawnai of Nongrah, Shillong. The family is already grappling with unimaginable grief. Circulating images or videos of the deceased child intensifies their suffering and can retraumatize them repeatedly. Sharing such content strips the child and her family of their right to privacy and dignity in death. Nongrah residents are shaken by the incident. Public dissemination of graphic or sensitive content can ripple through the community.
The East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, Vivek Syiem has explicitly condemned the circulation of such material and rightly warned of serious legal repercussions for those who ignore the advisory. Sharing sensitive content may violate laws related to privacy, child protection and digital ethics. It could be treated as obstruction of justice or interference with an ongoing investigation.
Virality should never come at the cost of human dignity. Content creators have a moral obligation to prioritize empathy over engagement. Algorithms may amplify such content, but content creators must resist exploiting tragedy for clicks or monetization. Responsible storytelling means protecting victims not sensationalising their suffering. The Meghalaya Police have rightly urged everyone to immediately remove any related content from social media platforms and to respect the family’s privacy. Upholding this request is not just about compliance, it’s about compassion.
Yours etc;
VK Lyngdoh,
Via email
A gruesome murder
Editor,
The news of a four-year-old girl going missing on Sunday was enough to create a sense of deep unrest in the minds of the people. As a mother, when I looked at the little girl’s face in the pictures, I was filled with fear and nervousness. I feared for my own children. Immediately, the thought that came to my mind was God forbid nothing untoward should happen to the little one. The world has become so cruel that no sane person can think straight. Faith, trust, empathy, compassion are empty words that have no relevance in today’s world. Ambition, pride, greed, hunger for power seem to rule the day. But when the body of the little girl was found at a construction site, a chill went down my spine. It was no longer a normal Monday but a day that left the entire town in fear, pain and anger. What happened to the little girl can happen to anyone of our own. I can’t even begin to imagine the pain of the mother who carried her for 9 months in her womb nor her father who had held her in his hands filled with dreams for his child.
Now that preliminary investigation suggests that Insaphira was murdered it becomes even more gruesome. Only a devil incarnate could have done such a thing. How did the monster dare to put an end to the life of a girl so young and so innocent? Did he not have any conscience or fear while committing the crime? The Police Department must apprehend the culprit or culprits and the law must take its course and stringent punishment must be awarded to the devil incarnate. While my heart goes out to the parents, siblings and family members of Insaphira, I pray that the little one rests well and rests easy in the arms of God.
Yours etc.,
Jenniefer Dkhar,
Via email
A Cry for Safety: Parents Living in Fear Amid Rising Crimes Against Children
Editor,
In the past few months, our state has been shaken by horrifying incidents: gold earing snatched from a minor in Mawlai; drugging a minor from Mawshbuit and attempt to kidnap a child from school, and now the most heartbreaking tragedy – the killing of an innocent four-year-old child from Nongrah. These are not just news reports; they are nightmares that every parent now lives with, leaving us terrified to send our children even a few steps outside the safety of our homes.
As parents, our hearts are heavy with grief and fear. Schools, which should be sanctuaries of learning, have become places of anxiety. Playgrounds, once filled with laughter, now feel unsafe. The very freedom of childhood is under attack, and we, as ordinary families, are left feeling helpless and clueless about how to curb this menace.
Children represent innocence, joy, and the future of our community. When they are harmed, it is not only the family that suffers but society as a whole. These recent events have shaken our trust; trust in the safety of our neighbourhoods, in institutions that should protect our children, and in the very fabric of community life that has always held us together.
We cannot allow fear to silence us. Every parent’s voice must join in demanding action, not tomorrow but today. Some urgent steps we believe are necessary. They include:
Safer school environment with stricter monitoring of entry and exit points, deployment of security staff and installation of CCTV cameras wherever possible is imperative. Also clear protocols for child pick-up and drop-off to prevent any breach.
We need regular awareness programs in schools and localities to help children and parents identify suspicious behaviour and react quickly.
Parents should avoid sending children out alone with valuables such as gold ornaments. Encourage collective guardianship, where parents and neighbours watch over one another’s children as if they were their own.
Families affected by such crimes need counselling and community support. Our children must be reassured through care, not silence, so they do not grow up with fear as their constant companion.
This is not a problem for individual families to solve. It is a collective responsibility of parents, communities, schools, leaders, and law enforcement agencies. If we do not act now, the fear gripping parents today may become the reality for children tomorrow.
The tragedy in Nongrah must not be another passing headline. It must be a turning point. Let us unite to demand and create a society where children can walk to school, play with friends, and live their lives without fear.
Our children are our greatest treasure. Their safety must be our greatest priority.
Yours etc.,
JL Nonglait,
Via email
