NCCI condemn Guwahati molestation; says wake-up call from insensitivity

The National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) today condemned the molestation of a teenager by a mob in Guwahati's Christian Basti area last week.

The 17-year-old was returning from a get-together when 11 men pounced on her. A video clip of the girl being molested was caught on camera and went viral on the net.

Terming it a "shameful incident", the NCCI expressed grave concern about frequency of such public acts of violence committed against vulnerable girl children and women in general.

"The time has come for the Indian society and the Church to wake up from our insensitivity to all forms of atrocities and violence meted out against girl children and women in our society, particularly those from tribal and adivasi communities," the NCCI said in a statement.

The police have only managed to arrest six people; two were arrested yesterday. The main accused is still absconding. Rs 1 lakh cash award has been announced for giving information on the whereabouts of the prime accused.

Several hundreds of people on Sunday took out a protest rally through the streets of Guwahati demanding stringent punish to the culprits of the July 9 incident.

The protesters said they were scheduled to meet the three members of the National Commission of Women (NCW), currently in the city to probe into the case.

"The government needs to do much more. Action has to be taken to render the needed comfort and compensation to the girl and her family for complete healing from the trauma they are going through," NCCI expressed.

It urged the government to take measures to see that the police personnel are people of moral and ethical integrity and ensure the protection and dignity of all weaker sections of the society.

It also called upon citizens to be "to be vigilant to protect the vulnerable from any kind of attack, to express solidarity with victims of sexual assault and other violence and cultivate a culture of gender respect and wholesomeness".

Meanwhile, there are questions being raised about the role of a journalist who has been accused of inciting the mob and "planning and directing" the molestation

RTI activist Akhil Gogoi on Saturday produced video footage showing a TV reporter instigating people to strip the victim.

The Electronic Media Forum Assam (EMFA) asked the Assam government for a high-level probe into the allegation of the reporter's involvement in the case.

The reporter has also tendered his resignation to the news channel he worked for following the accusation.

The Guwahati molestation has caused national outrage with many using social media to demand justice for the girl.