A snow-covered Pattan Valley in Lahaul-Spiti district on Monday. (Photo: Pradeep Kumar) A snow-covered Pattan Valley in Lahaul-Spiti district on Monday. (Photo: Pradeep Kumar)

At A time when crimes are on the rise across the country, the remote district of Lahaul and Spiti in Himachal Pradesh defies the trend to set a pleasant example. No case of murder, dacoity, robbery, abduction, molestation or sexual harassment has been reported from the district in the last ten years, while no case or rape has been registered in the last five years.

Some of the reasons attributed to this include: law-abiding and peace-loving residents, low density of population, channelisation of energy into agriculture, sports and other activities, and active engagement of the people in community fairs and festivals.

“These figures are not surprising. It’s related to environmental and religious factors among other things. The district remains cut off from the rest of the world during the winter months, and it has its own unique way of life. Even the few incidents that occur here mostly involve migrants who come for construction labour and other work. Among the native inhabitants, there is a great sense of harmony,” said Ram Singh, coordinator of the Nehru Yuva Kendra in Keylong, the district headquarters.

According to crime data maintained by the Himachal Pradesh police, the total number of criminal cases registered in Lahaul-Spiti since January 1, 2001, are less than 700. The corresponding figures for Kangra, Mandi and Shimla district are all more than 24,000. The second-lowest criminal cases were registered in Kinnaur. Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur are the only two districts of the state which are classified as scheduled areas in their entirety, as the tribal population in these districts is above 50 per cent.

“These districts form a contiguous belt in the far hinterland behind high mountain passes and are amongst the remotest and most inaccessible areas in the state,” according to the website of the state’s tribal development department.

SP R K Meena of state CID, who has served two years in the district, said one of the factors for the low-crime rate in Lahaul-Spiti is the low population and population density. The district is vast in size but sparsely populated. Around 31,500 people (2011 census) are spread out over nearly 14,000 sq metres of land. “They are a set of law-abiding citizens with a propensity for peace,” he added.

There are a number of other zeros in the 10-year crime data of the district. No cases of extortion, assault, criminal conspiracy, forgery, dowry death etc. There has been one case of sedition, one case of attempted murder, three cases each of kidnapping and rape, five cases of burglary/house-breaking, and 13 cases of theft, among other offences.

Hira Lal Thakur, associate professor at the district’s only government college, feels that another reason for the low crime rate is “active channelisation” of youth energy into sports and other productive activities. “During the summer months, people are busy in agricultural and allied activities when the valleys are suitable for cultivation. As winter approaches, youngsters become active in winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding,” he said. Earlier this month, the country’s highest ice hockey rink was inaugurated in Kaza where a coaching camp and tournament has already been organised.

Thakur added that winter is also the season for festivals and fairs. “Locals organise various functions dedicated to the local deities and a spiritual fervour sweeps the land and its inhabitants,” he said.

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