The number of murder cases targeting defenceless young women in Meghalaya demands that the community takes time to sit and ponder on the reasons for such a degeneration in a society once known for its values particularly, “ Ka Tip Briew, Tip Blei,” (Knowing fellow humans to know God). In short, the Khasi value system actually embodies a belief that sees in the human person an image of God. Unless people learn to respect and value one another they cannot claim to know God. And if the society is still guided by these intrinsic values which are also the moral compass that guided the ancestors at one time, then why are so many murders taking place with repeated frequency. In recent memory is the brutal, daylight murder of a young lady by her fiancé in the presence of her father who was caught completely by surprise. This murder happened in Eastern West Khasi Hills. The man who murdered this young lady actually slit her throat – an act that is not just brutal but exposes the depth of human passions gone horrible wrong – of uncontrolled rage and the desire for revenge. The murderer is someone’s son and brother so what went wrong in his upbringing? Is the Khasi society facing an unprecedented moral crisis? Is the society too caught up to even spend time analysing itself and its failing moral compass?
Each time a murder happens, there is an uproar but with time the incident is forgotten until the next one shakes us out of our reverie. As social media addicts such murders have only become causes for gossip and passing sordid comments. In fact, salacious comments on social media are the new normal. Here the media too is complicit with their shrieking headlines aimed at getting as many eyeballs as they can garner for each view translates to money. Is this what has hardened the human soul and denuded it of empathy which is what sustains the ‘humanity’ project. To empathise is to feel the pain of another person and not just to feel a temporary pity and offer condolences only to move on until another disaster strikes.
To blame the law enforcing authorities for social vices that are also triggered by modern technological advances which have captured the mind-space of the youth is asking for too much. Most young people are addicted to pornography and sexual innuendoes push the young to experiment with sex. When thwarted in that ambition they tend to get violent. The fact that sex is seen as taboo and parents shy away from discussing it freely and allow their young ones to share their thoughts is what drives them to visit pornographic sites. Also, it cannot be denied that many young ones grow up in families where they see violence first hand. Drunkenness among male members is common. Most of them become violent and vent their frustrations on the woman (wife). When such scenes are witnessed by young male members, it makes them think that wreaking violence on a woman is normal. And these are best kept secrets in many families. Unless society begins to admit its fatal flaws, violence will continue. Attempts to brush under the carpet incidences of violence at home will spill out into the public domain.
