Srinagar February 04:(KNS)  Expressing deep  concern and outrage over the acid attack on a 24-year-old woman in Srinagar, the Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC), a J&K-based  non-political civil society group, has called for concerted  efforts to address the factors leading to such  heinous crimes.

“The acid attack is neither first of its kind nor will it be the last unless we wake up to the growing rate of crimes, deviance and delinquencies in our society.  As a society we all, including clerics and religious scholars, need to rise to the occasion and exhibit zero tolerance towards such deviances,” reads the statement issued by GCC.

“We also need to introspect to find out where we, as parents, are faltering in our duty to parent our children properly as per cherished values of humanity,” reads the statement.

Referring to the growing drug addiction among youth, GCC pointed out that the latest acid attack should “alert us all to rise against waywardness and delinquency among our children”.

The GCC statement also referred to the impact of prolonged closure of schools and colleges on the social and emotional development of children.  It urged the government to take necessary steps in  advance  for early opening of the educational institutions.

GCC, a civil society group, comprises of former Vice Chancellors, senior civil servants, academics, judges, advocates, literateurs , senior  scientists , media persons etc.(KNS)