A disturbing video circulating on social media has shaken Arunachal Pradesh, and the Arunachal Pradesh Women’s Welfare Society (APWWS) is making sure it doesn’t get brushed under the rug.
The video, which went viral in recent days, purportedly shows an elderly man identified as Biri Tara allegedly abusing a minor girl. The moment it started spreading across platforms, public outrage followed. And APWWS did not wait long to respond.
The Society issued a strong condemnation, calling the alleged incident deeply troubling and making its position crystal clear — there is absolutely no room for compromise when it comes to child safety. “Every child has the right to live free from violence, abuse, intimidation and exploitation, irrespective of the circumstances,” the Society stated. Simple words. But in moments like this, they carry the full weight of what communities owe to their most vulnerable members.
On the law enforcement side, there is at least one piece of news that offers some relief. The Itanagar Women Police Station arrested the accused following the incident. APWWS publicly appreciated the action and urged that the investigation be conducted swiftly, impartially and within a clear timeframe, in full accordance with applicable child protection laws. If the allegations are proven, the Society said, stringent punishment must follow — no exceptions.
But the APWWS response went well beyond demanding justice. There’s something admirable about the way they framed the child at the centre of this — not as a subject of public curiosity, but as a survivor deserving care. The Society explicitly urged authorities to ensure the minor receives appropriate counselling, legal assistance and a safe environment throughout the investigation and any subsequent legal proceedings. The child, they insisted, must be shielded from public scrutiny, not exposed to it.
That brings up perhaps the most urgent part of their appeal — one directed not at the police or the courts, but at ordinary people scrolling their phones. APWWS called on the public, social media users and media organisations to stop circulating the video. Stop forwarding it. Stop reposting it. Every share of that content, the Society pointed out, is a fresh violation of the child’s privacy and causes additional psychological harm. It’s a reminder that outrage can quickly turn into something just as damaging if it isn’t channelled responsibly.
The Society also used the moment to push for something bigger: a broader cultural shift in how communities think about child protection. Families, schools, local bodies — all of them have a role to play, not just law enforcement. “Child protection cannot be left solely to law-enforcement agencies; it is a collective responsibility of families, communities and the State,” APWWS said.
That line shouldn’t be forgotten.
Cases like this have a way of generating noise for a few days before the news cycle moves on. But the child in this case doesn’t get to move on quite so easily. What she needs — and what every child in similar situations needs — is a system that actually shows up: with speed, with sensitivity, and with zero tolerance for those who harm them.
APWWS has taken its stand. Now the real question is whether the institutions around them will rise to meet it.
