BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 29th January 2026: Brigadier Nishant Chandel, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of 21 Sector, Assam Rifles, on Thursday sounded a strong warning against rising drug abuse among youths, stressing that parental neglect and unchecked digital exposure are pushing children towards addiction.
Addressing the ‘Bartalap Programme’ organised by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Government of Tripura, Brigadier Chandel spoke on the theme ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’, calling upon families and society to introspect rather than blame external systems.
“The youths are being used as a medium to destroy the socio-economic scenario of India, and therefore parents need to take greater care of their children,” he said. Highlighting the changing parenting patterns, Brigadier Chandel noted that busy schedules have led many parents to hand over smartphones to children to pacify them, without monitoring the content they consume.
“Earlier, our parents spent quality time with us and there were no smart entertainments like smartphones. Today, children are left with phones, watching reels continuously, without knowing what is right or wrong. The content is diverse, and often there is no one to guide them,” he observed.
He pointed out that children are increasingly deprived of emotional support at crucial moments. “Many children return home after board examinations and find no one to ask how their exam went, as parents are busy earning a livelihood. Gradually, children start believing that their parents have no time for them,” he said.
Brigadier Chandel warned that in such situations, external influences step in. “The second person who takes care of a child may not necessarily teach good values the way parents would. Over time, when children reach a certain age, drugs become a part of their life,” he cautioned.
Urging citizens to take responsibility, he said, “Stop blaming the system and society. Start looking inwards. If you don’t care and give time to your children, someone else will—and that won’t be good. The target is not you, the target is India, but you are the medium.”
Apart from Brigadier Chandel, Asit Kumar Das Additional District Magistrate & Collector, West Tripura; Achintam Kilikdar, Deputy Commissioner, SW & SE; Debasish Lodh, Assistant Director, ICA; Chameli Saha, Member, Tripura Commission for Protection of Child Rights and Pranab Sarkar, President, Agartala Press Club also spoke in this programme.
