The National Commission for Women (NCW), in collaboration with the Nagaland State Commission for Women (NSCW), organised a State-Level Awareness Programme on “Prevention of Stalking and Cyber Stalking” at the SIRD Auditorium, Kohima, on Tuesday, with legal experts and women’s rights advocates highlighting the growing threat posed by digital harassment and calling for stronger awareness, prevention and enforcement.
Addressing the gathering, Justice Lanusungkum Jamir, Chairman of the Nagaland State Human Rights Commission, described stalking as a pervasive yet often trivialised violation of human dignity that inflicts fear, emotional distress and psychological harm on victims.
He explained that stalking includes repeated unwanted attention such as following a person, persistent calls or messages, uninvited visits, surveillance, unwanted gifts and threats. Stressing that what may appear as persistence to one individual can be deeply frightening to another, Justice Jamir said the law under Section 78 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) recognises both physical stalking and cyber stalking as punishable offences.
Justice Jamir observed that stalking remains a bailable offence for first-time offenders, allowing perpetrators to return to society quickly and potentially continue threatening victims. He also noted that the current legal definition identifies the offender as a “man” and argued that laws should evolve to reflect the gender-neutral nature of both physical and digital harassment.
Calling for a shift in public attitudes, he urged society to reject cultural narratives that glorify persistence over consent. He emphasised that victims should clearly communicate an unequivocal “no,” document repeated harassment and preserve evidence to support legal action.
Highlighting the rapid rise of digital harassment, Justice Jamir said the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the transition from physical stalking to virtual stalking, aided by spyware, stalkerware, social media platforms and other technologies. He said cyber stalking includes online monitoring, identity theft, threats, misuse of personal data and continuous harassment.
While India’s legal framework, including the BNS and the Information Technology Act, provides strong provisions against such offences, Justice Jamir said enforcement remains challenging due to jurisdictional issues, evolving technology and low levels of digital literacy. He urged citizens to safeguard their online privacy, preserve digital evidence, block offenders, report abuse to online platforms and approach law enforcement promptly when threats persist.
Delivering the keynote address, NSCW Chairperson W Nginyeih Konyak described stalking and cyber stalking as “modern plagues” threatening the freedom, dignity and safety of women and girls.
She said Nagaland has traditionally been viewed as a society where communities protect one another, but warned that smartphones and digital connectivity have introduced invisible threats directly into homes.
According to her, cyber stalking now manifests through relentless online messages, constant social media surveillance, unauthorised location tracking and the misuse of personal information.
Referring to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, Konyak noted that Nagaland recorded 56 cases of crimes against women, the lowest among all States and Union Territories.
While describing this as a reflection of the state’s strong community values, she cautioned that low physical crime figures conceal an emerging rise in digital offences and violations under Special and Local Laws.
Illustrating the dangers of cyber stalking, Konyak cited a case study of a college student in Kohima who allegedly became the target of an anonymous online stalker. The perpetrator reportedly tracked her movements through social media posts, sent persistent messages, used artificial intelligence tools to create explicit morphed images and attempted to extort her by threatening to circulate the fabricated content. The victim reportedly withdrew from college and social life due to severe anxiety and depression.
She stressed that educational institutions must become the frontline in preventing digital harassment by establishing confidential reporting systems, integrating cyber safety into campus policies and educating students about offences under the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The NSCW Chairperson also called for statewide campaigns promoting digital hygiene, stronger cyber forensic capabilities, enhanced cyber crime infrastructure and wider utilisation of the Centre’s Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children (CCPWC) scheme.
Appealing to communities to reject victim-blaming, she urged families, churches, educational institutions and civil society organisations to stand with survivors and ensure swift legal action against offenders instead of social stigma.
“The safety we have long enjoyed in our physical communities must now be replicated in our digital spaces,” she said, urging all stakeholders to work together to build a safer online environment for women and children.
The programme was chaired by Kekhrienuo Meyase, Member, Nagaland State Commission for Women. It concluded with a technical session moderated by Grace Aye, State Mission Coordinator, Mission Shakti, Department of Social Welfare.
