Shillong, July 10: The Hynniewtrep Youth’ Council (HYC) on Friday demanded an immediate special anti-drug enforcement drive in identified hotspots across Shillong, alleging that the growing drug menace has turned several commercial areas into “unsafe zones.”
HYC president Roy Kupar Synrem called for regular police patrolling in commercial areas, strict action against drug peddlers and suppliers, and a time-bound plan to reclaim public spaces from narcotics and criminal activities.
The Council alleged that drug users and peddlers were operating “openly and fearlessly in full public view” in Police Bazar, GS Road, Lum Survey and adjoining areas.
“The recent media report exposing how business establishments are being crippled, customers driven away, and public spaces turned into centres of drug abuse and anti-social activity is a serious warning that the situation in Shillong has gone far beyond control,” the HYC stated.
It alleged that traders, vendors, women, children and other residents were being forced to live and work in fear while the government remained a “silent spectator.”
“The open use of narcotics in broad daylight, the presence of addicts in front of shops and commercial complexes, and the reported harassment, theft and intimidation faced by shopkeepers clearly show that this is no longer a hidden social problem but a full-blown law-and-order crisis,” it said.
The HYC held the State Government, Home Department and law enforcement agencies “directly responsible for allowing this menace to spread unchecked,” alleging that the failure to act against known hotspots and disrupt narcotics supply chains reflected a “lack of seriousness and political will.”
“It is deeply disturbing that families are now avoiding these areas, business owners are suffering losses, and even children and teenagers are reportedly being exposed to or drawn into substance abuse in public spaces. This is not merely negligence — it is a dangerous collapse of governance,” the release added.
“The government must stop hiding behind token measures and act with urgency before Shillong is pushed deeper into a social and security disaster,” Synrem said.
