A court in Shopian sentencing a teacher to undergo a 20-year imprisonment and imposing Rs 10 lakh fine on him for raping a minor girl is an exemplary punishment.
The crime committed by the accused was heinous in nature. It had sent shock waves across J&K. In 2015 the accused had assaulted the minor girl while she was in his home for tuition.
There was a time when an incident like rape was not even heard about in Kashmir. It’s unfortunate that such incidents are taking place in the Valley. The society needs to wake up and inculcate moral values among the people, especially the younger generation. A few black sheep cannot be allowed to ruin the entire society. It’s the responsibility of the parents to provide their children with moral education so that they become responsible citizens.
A teacher raping his minor student is a heinous crime and it cannot be forgiven. Teachers are the nation builders and parents send their children to them with hopes and expectations. The law has taken its course and the criminal teacher has been punished. The accused maligned the image of the entire teaching fraternity. His act was condemned by one and all and the teachers were the first ones to deplore the crime of their counterpart.
Not many years ago, elders in most of the areas across Kashmir used to keep a vigil over the activities taking place around them. There used to be mohalla committees and other associations that used to keep a watch and if anyone was found indulging in any sort of immoral activity he was identified and dealt with. However, these committees disappeared along with the passage of time as people became busy in their own lives. More than anything most of us have become eccentric and don’t think beyond our own interests and safety.
It’s high time for the entire society to wake up. People cannot act as mute spectators. They have to pay attention to what’s happening around them.
The court has done its job by punishing the accused. The punishment given by the Shopian Court has set a precedent. It’s a warning to the people with criminal intent that they cannot get away and they should mend their ways.
Exemplary Punishment
