Candle march for Debraj Roy: Silchar pleads for a drugs free city; father claims son not an addict

From the time the news broke yesterday that 17-year-old Debraj Roy died due to drug overdose in Silchar, every parent in the entire Barak Valley started to hear the sirens wail. Known as Island of peace – Silchar never expected the rise of drug abuse to the extent that it would lose a young life. Today, many parents, students and people of all age gathered with candles in their hands and marched from Radhamadhav road, where lived Debraj. While the family was trying its best to establish the fact that their son was not an addict, the general public pleaded for a drug-free Silchar.

“My son was injected by force and the headlines that Debraj was an addict is incorrect,” said Gopal Roy with moist eyes. He went on say that his son was examined while he was studying in Bhubaneshwar and the medical reports show no sign of addiction. “A drug addict needs drugs every 12 hours or else they get hysterical, my son was absolutely normal. He did not go out of the home for a minute in last 20 days. Sunday was the first time after so many days that he went out. And he never returned,” added Roy.

There are reports that suggest Debraj was expelled from his school as he was caught red-handed with drugs inside the school premises, “My son is immature for his age. Yes, he got associated with a vicious cycle in the past but we got him out and sent him to Bhubaneshwar,” asserted Gopal Roy.

The wounded heart is broken into pieces, yet he said he is set to fight a legal battle, “My son or his friends did buy the narcotics from somewhere. There are many others who are buying the same drug illegally. We have already lodged an FIR. We want to see the post mortem report and then we will start a legal battle. I have lost my son but I won’t let the ones who are selling drugs roam free,” he warned.

Debraj Roy, resident of Radhamadhav road was found dead in a building in Panchayat road on Tuesday. He left his home on Sunday and never returned.

The fight against drug-trafficking, narcotics and other additives is not a fight to be fought alone by Debraj’s parents, instead it should be each and everyone’s. Each and every resident should raise awareness and help administration uproot the issue. As they say, when the sirens wail somebody goes to emergency and somebody goes to jail but nobody sleeps happy.