The social environs that cultivate crimes

Compared to 2020 when Covid was raging, crimes including rape, kidnapping, violence against children and extortion have significantly gone up in 2021, as shown in the latest data released by the National Crime Records Bureau. Murders that showed no letup in 2020 have shot up continually in the following years as well. While 28,046 rape cases were registered in 2020, the number increased to 31,677 in 2021. Kidnappings went up from 84,805 to 1, 01,707. It is recorded that murder cases have increased from 29,193 in 2020 to 29,272 in 2021. Percentage-wise increase in murders stands at 3, kidnapping at 19.99, violence against women at 15.3 and violence against elders at 5.3.

Domestic violence involving husband and other family members as accused make up 31.8 percent of violence against women. Suicides are also higher in 2021 than in the previous year. While 8,500 people committed suicide in Kerala in 2020, the numbers shot up to 9549 in 2021. Across the nation in 2021, 1, 64,033 hapless ones committed suicide marking an increase of seven percent over the previous year.

If crimes were to be reduced, the environs under which they occur must be changed or eliminated. In our country it is quite the opposite. The atmosphere here is conducive to maximize crime. Crime-inducing problems in the nation are only intensifying, rendering all the welfare schemes and claims of the central and state governments meaningless. Obviously enough, the governments that can do nothing effectively to contain the ever-increasing inflation, are only vigilant in squeezing the people by doubling taxes. Authorities us are pushing even the farmers who feed crores of people into protests over and again, while pampering the corporates as much as possible. It is a reality that even the self-employed who eke out a living without any help from the government are hunted down in every which way possible. No need to mention the reports of all the departments related to tax, customs, license, permit, ED etc. working unjustly. The other side of the picture shows that the society is consequently resorting to crime and suicide. To tell the truth, laws, courts and prisons are not enough to prevent crime; and they must be entrusted to honest and responsible officers. Is there any chance for crime and criminals to decrease rather than increase in an atmosphere of nepotism, corruption, bribery and complacency? Who doesn't know how many times more crimes are actually taking place than the facts uncovered by the Crime Records Bureau! Convictions of criminals have become rare because of perjury, defection of witnesses, laxity of law enforcement and judges. On the other hand, convicts roam free defying society, thanks to pressure and backdoor interventions. About those arrested in criminal cases, police usually say that the person is accused in 10 or 20 cases! Most of those caught in theft cases are the same ones who come out serving time in jails. Those incarcerated on drug charges also do the same; they come out and engage in their old work taking on board new criminal gangs to stay strong.

In this foul social environs, there are still some people in our country who are philanthropic and committed to moral and ethical values. They are selflessly working to overcome difficulties and obstacles and to ensure independent life. A large section of those in power and law enforcement hunt them down and brand them as fundamentalists, reactionaries, and urban Naxalites. True patriots have the responsibility to educate the people, exposing these organized evil forces who are advocates and executors of immorality.