SHILLONG, July 10: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) on Friday launched a scathing attack on the state government for its alleged failure to curb the growing drug menace in Police Bazar, GS Road, Lum Survey and adjoining areas.
Reacting to the report in The Shillong Times highlighting the proliferation of drug use in Shillong’s prime commercial hubs and its adverse impact on businesses, HYC president Roy Kupar Synrem said the open presence of drug users and peddlers in the city’s commercial heart should serve as a serious wake-up call.
“The situation in Shillong has gone far beyond control. It is utterly disgraceful that in the heart of the state capital, traders, vendors, women, children and ordinary citizens are being forced to live and work under fear while the government continues to remain a silent spectator,” he said.
The HYC alleged that open consumption of narcotics in broad daylight, addicts loitering outside shops, and rising incidents of harassment, theft and intimidation have turned the issue into a full-fledged law-and-order crisis.
Business establishments are suffering as customers, including families, are being driven away from these once-busy areas, Synrem added.
Holding the state government, Home Department and law enforcement agencies accountable, he accused the authorities of failing to crack down on known hotspots or dismantle supply networks despite repeated concerns.
“The government cannot continue issuing hollow assurances while Shillong’s most important commercial centres are being reduced to unsafe zones under the grip of drugs, peddling networks and anti-social elements,” Synrem said.
The organisation demanded the immediate launch of a special anti-drug enforcement drive in identified hotspots, regular police patrolling in commercial centres, stringent action against peddlers and suppliers, and a time-bound plan to reclaim public spaces.
Warning that the situation could worsen if left unchecked, Synrem urged the government to move beyond “token measures” and take urgent, decisive action before the drug menace escalates into a larger social and security crisis.
