Meghalaya women's Congress urges crackdown on online porn amid rising child abuse cases

Amid growing concerns over the safety of young girls in Meghalaya, the state's women’s wing of the Congress party has renewed its demand for stronger controls on access to online pornographic content.

The Meghalaya Pradesh Mahila Congress (MPMC) has submitted a formal reminder to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, urging immediate intervention to curb what it calls a key factor behind the increase in sexual abuse cases involving minors.

The MPMC has cited alarming trends in which minors, particularly boys, are allegedly being influenced by easily accessible explicit material online, contributing to inappropriate and criminal behaviour toward young girls. The organisation warned that this pattern reflects a wider societal issue that requires urgent government attention.

Along with its call to restrict access to pornographic websites, the MPMC has laid out a set of recommendations. These include introducing state-led digital safety campaigns in schools and communities, enhancing cyber surveillance, collaborating with internet service providers and law enforcement, and promoting educational initiatives for both youth and parents about the dangers of online pornography.

The group believes these actions are essential to safeguarding children and addressing what they view as a growing moral and social challenge. They expressed readiness to support any government-led efforts in this direction.

This is not the first time the MPMC has raised the issue. On April 18, the party had already appealed for a statewide ban on pornographic sites, linking the availability of such content to a spike in sexual crimes against minors.