Editor,
Shillong, our beloved City, is bearing a growing wound with the scourge of drug addiction. What once lingered at the margins has now struck at the very heart of our homes, schools, and youth. It has torn apart families, stolen dreams, and chained lives in despair. The pain is heavy, but hope remains for the light of Jesus Christ still shines in the darkest night.
Among the most vulnerable are our young people. Our sons and daughters, once full of hope and life, are being lured into the trap of drugs. They search for belonging, for peace, for escape, yet too often they are deceived into paths that destroy instead of heal. Dreams of education and future service are shattered before they can take flight. In this, we see not simply the failure of society, but hearts crying out for meaning, for love, for hope. And it is here that we must proclaim: no youth is beyond the reach of Christ’s redeeming love. Every young person enslaved by addiction is still God’s beloved child, marked by His image and worthy of restoration.
The task before us as families, communities, and the Church is urgent and sacred. We cannot allow our generation of young people to be lost. Awareness alone is not enough we must walk beside them with Christlike compassion. Jesus welcomed the broken and weary; so must we. We must open doors of healing, encouragement, mentorship, and prayer, showing our youth that they are seen, valued, and destined for greater things in Christ.
This battle is not the government’s alone, nor law enforcement’s alone. It must be fought with prayer, faith, and the unity of a community rooted in God’s love. Where society is quick to condemn, we must extend grace. Where the world points fingers, Jesus stretches out His hands to lift the fallen.
Our broken youth can be made whole, families restored, and our generations set free to dream again. Let us hold fast to God’s promise:
“If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14
Chanmiki Laloo
Via e-mail
