|
|
| wise words ::. | | What is the difference between genius and stupidity? Genius has limits. - Albert Einstein. |
|
|
|
| editorial. | 04/10/02 |
Criminalising the city
USA, with its high crime rate, have been tackling the problem of firearms among its citizens for a long time without much success in curbing the onwership of small firearms by its citizens or legislating a law by which small arms would be controlled more forcefully. This is because the citizens need to protect themselves from anti-socials that abound in the country. However, the failure to curb firearms ownership have led to many deaths in the US, not only of adults, but of children, who are also the perpretrators of fire arms-involve crimes.
With the city police reporting knife-carrying citizens at night, it is clear that Aizawl is no longer safe for law-abiding citizens. Nevertheless, this does not seem to warrant the carrying of knives even for self protection. A weapon of any kind, even if it is for the defence of one's own person, can lead to unwanted situations whereby one could commit a crime without intention. For persons who are easily provoked, the chances of committing unintentional crimes, causing bodily harm or worse to other persons, are much higher if they have weapons on their persons.
Just as the US government is unable to tackle the firearms problem, if the carying of knives is not discouraged by the Mizoram government, the same problem the US faces would face the Mizo people within a few years.
The law explicitly states that knives with four inches blades or longer are prohibited. To set examples, the police must register cases for persons who are in possession of prohibited knives on their persons.
However, what is needed most now is for the people to regain their lost confidence in the police. Even with the recent scare caused by rumours of masked men and the knifing and attacks of innocent people in their homes, the government Home department has been slow to react and has not done enough to reassure the populace that they are safe. With many men, not to mention women and children, feeling unsafe even in their own homes, more reassurances from the government is sorely needed.
The intensification of police patrolling at night may be enough as a temporary solace for the public, but temporary measures are not the solution. The police department and all its wings need to buck up to see that perpetrators of heinous crimes are apprehended. This will restore the public's confidence in them and will also boost the morale of the police force itself.
|
|
|
| Copyright © 2002 Newslink |
|
times