Domestic violence declines, but no dip in crimes against women, children

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Nov 27 : The number of complaints of domestic violence has declined, but extreme cases of rape and killing of women in violent incidents have occurred during the Manipur conflict, said Chairperson of Manipur State Commission for Women (MSCW), Thumlip Tiningpham Monsang.
While 56 cases related to women were recorded in 2023 in Manipur, the Commission has received 46 complaints this year (2024), she said, speaking to The Sangai Express.
In 2023, the Commission received the maximum number of the complaints before the May violence. The number of complaints declined after May, she said.
While the number of complaints of domestic violence has declined during the conflict, crimes of heinous nature have been committed against women and children in the conflict, said Thumlip Tiningpham Monsang.
She said farmers tending their fields have been fired upon killing a woman and added that the MSCW vehemently condemns the recent abduction and murder of six women and children in Jiribam.
The Commission condemns all crimes against women and children irrespective of the communities they belong to. Innocent women and children must not be targeted in any conflict, she said.
Regarding the abduction and murder of the six women and children, she said, the Commission wrote letters to the State Home Department, DC Jiribam, and the National Commission for Women and other related agencies for immediate intervention.
She informed that the National Commission for Women's Member Secretary Meenakshi Negi and Member Dr Archana Majumdar visited Imphal on November 19 and held a closed door meeting with the State Chief Secretary and the DGP.
The NCW team also met with internally displaced people staying at Lamboikhongnangkhong and Langol camps.
During their visit, MSCW urged the NCW to take up a case and put pressure on related authorities to swiftly complete the investigation for securing the end of justice, she added.
The Manipur State Commission for Women was formed on September 15, 2006.
In 2007, the Commission recorded 27 cases.
The Commission recorded 45 cases in 2008; 19 cases in 2009; 31 cases in 2010; 124 cases in 2011; 96 cases in 2012; 66 cases in 2013;  66 cases in 2014; 46 cases in 2015; 55 cases in 2016; 90 cases in 2017; 105 cases in 2018; 126 cases in 2019; 84 cases in 2020; 83 cases in 2021; 78 cases in 2022; 56 cases in 2023 and 46 cases in 2024.
As per the records available, the number of complaints of domestic violence and related cases concerning women has declined during the conflict, said Chairperson Thumlip Tiningpham Monsang.
The complaints with the Commission are related to cases of physical and mental assault, death beneficiary, domestic violence,  sexual harassment, matrimonial dispute, cheating, insult, torture, divorce and missing etc, she said.
The Commission hears cases on Wednesdays.
Meanwhile, Women Action for Development (WAD) secretary, Mangsatabam Sobita said fighting crimes against women in Manipur requires the collective efforts of all sections of the society and raising awareness among the members of the public.
She provided a breakdown of cases involving women WAD recorded in 2022.
In 2022, Sobita said, Manipur recorded 191 cases related to crimes against women.
The 191 cases included 41 cases of rape, 4 cases of gang-rape, 1 case of rape and murder, 1 case of murder, 1 case of suicide after rape, 5 cases of suspicious death, 8 cases of suicide, 2 cases of molestation, 4 cases of trafficking, 2 cases related to cyber-crime, 28 cases of assault, 5 cases of life-attempt, 2 cases related to threatening, 41 missing cases, 4 kidnapping cases, 1 case of abandonment, 10 cases of forced detention, 1 sexual harassment case, 2 cases of cheating and 20 cases related to crowd control assault.
In 2023, WAD recorded 48 cases, and between January and November 2024, it recorded as many as 125 cases, Sobita said.
The number of cases of domestic violence has however declined after the conflict broke out in May, 2023, she added.
This paper also spoke to Keisam Pradipkumar, Chairperson of Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR) on cases related to children.
The Chairperson said the Commission is very disturbed by incidents of heinous crimes against children and women amid the conflict.
He said the recent abduction and killing of three children and three women by Kuki militants in Jiribam was against all humanitarian and international laws and the Commission condemns it in the strongest terms.
The Commission has taken a suo-moto case and urged the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and National Commission for Women for their interventions, he said.
He emphasised that the State Government must implement the draft Manipur State Child Rights Policy that is gathering dust since 2020.