Power is often misunderstood. Many think it means control or dominance. But true power is the ability to protect. It is the strength to stand against injustice, defend the vulnerable, and choose responsibility over silence. Today, we face a moral crisis. Crimes such as child abuse, trafficking, and exploitation are not distant problems.
They exist within our own country, India, and even in states like Nagaland. Recent reports from 2024 and 2025 reveal disturbing cases in Nagaland involving minor domestic helpers. In Kohima, a government employee was arrested after a nine-year-old boy was found severely injured; a case pursued by the Konyak Students’ Union Kohima. In Mokokchung, the Chang Women Organization condemned the abuse of a minor girl who had lived as a domestic helper for years. In another instance, police arrested a foster mother for severely mistreating an 11-year-old child. Beyond Nagaland, in February 2026, a court in Uttar Pradesh sentenced a couple to death for sexually abusing 33 minor boys over nearly a decade.
The case shocked the nation and showed how cruelty can operate for years when authority goes unquestioned. Internationally, the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein including activities linked to his private island, Little Saint James revealed how wealth, privilege, and secrecy shield exploitation. Court documents showed networks of power and protection built to conceal abuse.
While legal responsibility depends on verified convictions, the scandal became a symbol of what happens when influence protects predators instead of the innocent. The movie Spotlight, is based on The Boston Globe’s Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation that exposed decades of child sexual abuse and institutional cover-ups within the Catholic Church. Abusive priests were reassigned rather than reported, allowing harm to continue.
Hundreds of victims were eventually identified. The lesson: when institutions protect reputation over truth, victims suffer. The movie Sound of Freedom, dramatises child trafficking rescues, inspired by real anti-trafficking operations. Millions of children remain vulnerable worldwide.
The film reminds us that silence allows predators to thrive, while courage and exposure fight exploitation. The story of Pinocchio, particularly the scenes of Pleasure Island, serves as a powerful metaphor. Children are lured to the island with promises of fun and freedom, only to discover they are being exploited and transformed. Like predators in real life, the dangers are disguised behind glamour, privilege, and temptation. Epstein’s island, and similar elite networks, echoed this dark reality: innocence can be enticed into peril when society is inattentive. The moral is clear deception often wears a smiling face, but vigilance can expose it. In Bollywood, Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. shows that strength can be compassionate. Munna, a gangster, uses empathy to challenge injustice and protect others. His power heals rather than harms. In contrast, Marvel Punisher, represents uncompromising accountability when institutions fail.
He symbolises society’s anger when the innocent are harmed and justice is delayed. One protects with care, the other punishes with force. Both highlight that strength must serve the innocent. And as stated in Spider-Man: “With great power comes great responsibility.” Interviews with convicted predator Jack Reynolds, reveal how calculated grooming works how predators target vulnerability, gain trust, and rely on secrecy to operate for years.
These testimonies show a stark truth: predators succeed not because they are powerful, but because strong fathers’ protection is absent. Vigilance and moral guidance are the strongest defences. The Responsibility Begins at Home; If society is to remain strong, the answer begins at home. We must raise sons to become protectors; not predators. Boys must learn discipline before power, responsibility before authority, and integrity before influence. A husband must be a shield.
A father must be a guardian. True masculinity is measured by protection and provision, not control or dominance. If fathers are vigilant, families remain secure. And when families are secure, society stands firm. Power is not meant to dominate. It is meant to protect.
The future of our communities in Nagaland, across India, and beyond depends on whether we raise the next generation to understand this truth. Because in the end, protection is not a slogan. It is a responsibility!
Avitho o Loucu
CTAN Core Committee
member.
Friday, March 6, 2026