Increasing crime rate

In a shocking incident, police apprehended a minor boy for murdering a teenager in the Srinagar city. As per police, a 15 year old boy named Burhan Ahmad was mercilessly stabbed to death by a juvenile in the Chinar Bagh area on Saturday last week. Police has registered an FIR against the accused and investigation is going on to ascertain the underlying causes that has led to this heart wrenching tragedy. This incident has sent shock waves across the valley and has once again reminded us where we have reached as far as morality is concerned. How would it be possible that incidents of murder and drug abuse become a normal feature for our society?  Why the drug abuse is increasing day by day. One wonders, what has happened to our moral conscious? What has made it so weak that our susceptibility towards committing crimes has increased manifold. It appears that the Kashmiris have accepted crime as a norm. What are the reasons? Is it government’s inefficiency in tackling crime in the UT responsible for this surge or we as a society have failed to deliver too? The answer isn’t simple. Has materialism taken on our nerves or the greed to accumulate more wealth has turn us blind. Though, we do not have to blame government and policy makers for every wrong in our society. The fact remains that the onus to check the crime lies on their shoulders.  They are under obligation to check and control the growing crime rate. They need to be vigilant. Besides police, civil society groups need to participate actively to address the issues confronted by our society. Even religious preachers, who besides, demonising West for every wrongdoing should start stressing the need for address the social evils and come up with remedial measures. Addressing social crimes is not a task for a select few – it is a collective responsibility. Each one of us can contribute to this fight, be it through education, advocacy, or simply by standing up for the victims. As we progress as a society, let us ensure that we leave no room for social crimes in our midst. Because a society that allows such crimes to persist is one that is failing its citizens. It’s time for change, and it begins with us. No society is perfect; we have to work to make it a perfect one. We need to act now, or else, our dereliction could ruin us.