Monalisa Changkija
Like all human societies, Nagaland too had its share of crimes but this State was far from being any kind of ‘crime capital’. In fact, Nagaland has always had one of the lowest crime rates in the country. Now, it is also important that crime per se here is not to be mixed up or mistaken for what are claimed to be insurgency-related executions, abductions, ransom demands and extortions, etc., which are crimes for sure but perceived as a totally different category. To be sure, the law doesn’t make any distinction between different categories of crimes but in this column, I am talking about what are generally considered as non-insurgency-related crimes committed against and by members of the public, who have no known affiliations to any Naga political group(s). Having said that, unquestionably crimes are crimes, as defined by law, and lines cannot be drawn and woe begone to any society and State that blurs the lines. Nevertheless, it happens very often.
Of late, the crime scenario in Nagaland is changing with several crimes committed across the State in rapid succession ~ within four days, actually. On October 27, 2025, three members of a family, including two children, were allegedly murdered in Niuland district. According to the Police 35-year-old Ashatul and his two children, a 12-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son, were allegedly murdered by his brother, Abdul Gofur, in Niuland. The accused later surrendered before the Village Council and handed over the weapons used in the crime. The motive remains unclear so far although there are speculations that the accused has mental issues. On October 26, in another incident, a 22-year-old woman, reportedly a well-known basketball player was found murdered near her residence at Old Ministers’ Hill in Kohima. Police said the victim was last seen the previous night. In this case too, motive is still unknown. In Longleng district, two men from Aoching village were killed in a suspected hit-and-run incident along the NH-702B in the intervening night of October 25 and October 26. The victims were reportedly returning home when an unidentified vehicle hit them. On October 31, a gunman tried to rob the State Bank of India (SBI), Chedema Branch, Kohima district, but his attempts were foiled although he managed to escape. Late last year and early this year, one women was beheaded allegedly by her husband in what is said to be a case of domestic violence and in another case, a woman was found murdered at Pimla, Peren District and believed to be raped.
By no means is the list exhausted. There are reports of other categories of crimes too but the statistics of these reports are likely to be incomplete because the public often finds it pointless to file FIRs because despite rigourous investigations the outcomes are often fruitless. The crimes cited above have obviously outraged and shaken Nagaland, as much as the increasing crimes, especially thefts and burglaries for which drug addicts are blamed. But from experiences, it transpires that not all thefts and burglaries are the handiwork of drug addicts ~ there are hard core individual and groups of thieves and burglars and they go about their criminal activities with impunity.
So, what is really wrong with a society and State that used to be almost crime-free? This question is actually for social scientists of various disciplines, criminologists and other subject specialists to investigate and answer. However, one doesn’t have much hope for such an impartial exercise because no one, especially our powers-that-be, likes mirrors held up to their face. Besides, how many of our social scientists of various disciplines, criminologists and other subject specialists would actually dare to pursue the matter for it would require official sanction, huge funds and the freedom for impartial probe and commentary, which will ruffle powerful feathers? In fact, such an investigation or research would obviously put the entirety of our politics and policy making related to our politics, economics and every other aspect of our societal dynamics and interactions under the microscope. There are not too many brave hearts, who would dare to open cupboards full of skeletons, cans of worms and Pandora’s Box. The normalization of fear and accompanying silence is palpable.
Normally fingers are pointed at the Police for escalation of crimes anywhere and rightly so. They are, after all, entrusted with the responsibility of keeping lives and property safe, secure and protected. Besides, public tax pays for them to perform their duties without fear or favour ~ much like elected leaders. But things are never as simple as they appear to be or cut out to be. And the Police operate within the circles and cycles of politics and governance reflecting healthy politics and good governance or otherwise. But who dares to question or point fingers at the top? And we see that increasingly the top abjures responsibility and accountability. So with no one taking responsibility because no one is held accountable, crimes and all other societal ills fester incurably. Moreover, much has changed here over the decades and we are not the same people anymore. As a corollary, our political, economic and social realities have also changed drastically but because society is dynamic, these changes are inevitable. Therefore, no change is a reason, an excuse or justification for our rising crimes, corruption and other societal ills. The crux of the matter seems to be the lack of responsible, responsive and sensitive leadership. It is said that when a fish rots, it begins in the head.
At the same time, our Police and its political leadership cannot play victim of change. The unfortunate backdoor appointments of over a thousand recruits to our Police Force here, which the High Court had invalidated, have caused deep public distrust in the political and administrative leadership of this Force. What is not so publicly talked about are the time and enormous energy and resources that were spent on training these backdoor appointees and the disruptions and frustration thereof that must have surely occurred within the Force. Indubitably, these backdoor appointments must have also severely affected the morale of the Force and made it vulnerable. The point is if cops are appointed through the backdoor, their dependability to fight crimes and corruption is questionable. Noticeably, while the backdoor appointments were voided, no responsibility for this corruption have been identified and held accountable. Our entire societal system sidelines responsibility and accountability therefore crimes and corruption have become a flourishing industry woven and ingrained into our political, economic and social culture. It may sound simplistic but irrefutably escalating crime rates are directly related to the lack of moral compass in a society and State.
(The Columnist is a Dimapur-based veteran journalist, poet and former Editor of Nagaland Page. Published in the November 2, 2025 issue of Northeast Now)
