AASU Slams Police Inaction as Drug Menace Grips Assam's Margherita

In a scathing press statement issued by the Margherita Regional Students' Union—an affiliate of the All Assam Students' Union (AASU)—the organisation has sounded the alarm over the town’s descent into what they call a “paradise for narcotics.” The student body has alleged that Margherita is fast becoming a hotspot for illegal drug trade involving substances such as heroin, cannabis, and other synthetic drugs, with a disturbing rise in substance abuse among the youth.

Despite repeated complaints and alarming levels of visible drug abuse in public spaces, the authorities, particularly the police, have been accused of complete inaction. “Why are the police silent? What is the officer-in-charge of Ledo Police Station, Jyotish Phukan, doing? What has Margherita Police Officer-in-Charge Pratap Gogoi done so far?” questioned the student leaders.

The press release names several alleged drug peddlers operating with impunity in areas like Ledo, Tirap Colliery, and Molong Gaon. Individuals like Ratan Das, Bablu Ali, Jongu, Naresh, Rajiv, Nasir, Madhab, Lala, Chastu, Abdul, Jonai, Manoj Tati, and Jiten Gowala have been accused of openly running drug networks. A youth named Changmai has also been singled out for allegedly luring several youngsters into addiction over the years.

Shockingly, a drug outlet is said to be operating barely 100 meters from the Margherita police station. Despite this, no action has been taken, and when the AASU regional unit brought this to the attention of Officer-in-Charge Pratap Gogoi, they were met not with assurance, but with an unfounded accusation: “Even your AASU boys take money from drug peddlers,” he allegedly said.

“This is not just a crime issue—it’s a social epidemic,” said Abhishek Baruah, President of the Margherita Regional Students' Union. “A whole generation is being destroyed, and the police, instead of acting, are accusing student activists of collusion.”

The AASU unit alleged that Margherita police are only targeting low-level peddlers—"the small fish"—while the kingpins of the drug trade continue untouched. “Is the officer content fishing for minnows while letting the big sharks escape?” asked the students. “Why have the main players not been arrested? Why this selective crackdown?”

They issued the following urgent demands:

Arrest every individual involved in the drug trade, regardless of their status.

End the discriminatory treatment between small and big-time offenders.

Ensure a complete shutdown of the illegal drug network in Margherita.

Unless immediate and decisive action is taken, the student body has warned of launching massive agitation against the administration. General Secretary Mriganka Chutia, along with literary secretary Rupam Baruah, echoed the sentiment, stating that the patience of the youth has run out and that the fight to save Margherita will intensify in the coming days.

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