The rise of Criminality, drug abuse, alcoholism and violence in Sikkim

Dear Editor,

If a society or a state can't protect its most vulnerable then who can we protect??

Let's not kid ourselves, the Sikkim we knew and loved no longer exists, instead we have all collectively created this mess that is Sikkim today. On the surface the projections of Sunaulo Sikkim and celebrations, festivals and endless programmes dominate the narrative and it feels like there is a conscious effort on the part of administration to sweep all the problems under the rug and project an image of Sikkim that is only meant to show the outside world and sell the state to tourists but the reality today is that we no longer feel safe in our localities and even in our homes.

I am writing this not just with concern and fear, but with growing frustration and anger at what Sikkim is becoming and the apparent lack of urgency from those responsible for maintaining law and order.

There was a time when safety in Sikkim was unquestioned. Today, that sense of safety has been replaced by doubt. In recent times, there have been repeated incidents of theft, robbery, violent assault, and even murder across the state reported from Gangtok, Namchi, and other districts. In several cases, these incidents have involved victims being attacked inside their own homes, often by individuals suspected to be under the influence of drugs or struggling with addiction.

How many such incidents does it take before this is acknowledged as a pattern? How many more cases of helpless victims being attacked, looted, or worse, need to occur before this is treated as a full-blown crisis?

Because from where we stand as ordinary citizens, this is no longer a series of isolated incidents. It feels like a crime epidemic.

And yet, the response does not match the seriousness of the situation. We see these incidents reported in the news and then they seem to vanish under the immense effort on a different front to show Sikkim as the clean, green, ideal state but in reality only we citizens know and understand how deeply these problems have taken root in every community, in every town and even in every village in Sikkim right now. It clearly shows a failure of state agencies and policing and their inability to identify or curb these problems so much so that we are now losing faith in these instructions.

What exactly is the police doing to prevent these crimes not after they happen, but before? Why does it feel like visible policing is concentrated around VIP movement and ceremonial duties, while ordinary neighbourhoods are left vulnerable? Why are citizens increasingly feeling that they are on their own when it comes to their safety?

These are not rhetorical questions. They come from a place of genuine fear.

Drug abuse sits at the centre of this crisis, and everyone knows it. Brown sugar and pharmaceutical drugs are widely available across districts. Despite repeated reports of seizures, the supply continues. If anything, it appears to be growing. This raises a very direct question to both law enforcement and the administration, if drugs are still this easy to access, then what exactly is being controlled?

Seizures and arrests cannot be presented as success when the ground reality suggests otherwise. Are trafficking networks actually being dismantled, or are only small players being caught while the larger system continues untouched?

Equally concerning is the role of rehabilitation institutions. If drug addiction is driving crime, then rehabilitation should be a critical solution. But is it working? How many individuals actually recover and reintegrate into society? How many relapse and return to the same cycle sometimes leading to criminal behaviour? Is there any accountability, monitoring, or evaluation of these centres? Or are we simply moving people through a system without real outcomes?

At the same time, there is another uncomfortable truth that continues to be ignored alcoholism within homes. It is widespread, normalised, and rarely addressed. Yet it contributes to unstable family environments, domestic violence, and emotional distress. Children growing up in such conditions are more vulnerable to drifting toward substance abuse. While this may not apply in every case, the pattern is visible enough to demand attention. Ignoring this link only allows the problem to deepen.

We often speak of “misguided youth,” but this raises another question misguided by what? Or by whom? Young people do not fall into addiction in isolation. They fall through gaps in family support, education, social systems, and governance. If an increasing number of young individuals are turning toward drugs, then it reflects a failure that goes far beyond the individual.

What we are witnessing today is not a collection of separate problems. Rising drug abuse, increasing alcoholism, domestic instability, declining mental health, and growing crime are all connected. Across studies and real-world patterns, substance abuse has consistently been linked to higher rates of violent and property crimes. When dependency rises, so does desperation, impulsiveness, and the likelihood of violence. So why are we still treating these incidents as isolated cases instead of addressing the larger pattern?

This brings us back to the core issue law and order. Why are known problem areas not being brought under control? Why does it feel like action is reactive rather than preventive? Why are citizens losing confidence in the very institutions meant to protect them?

And beyond the police, where is the larger administrative response? Where is the coordination between law enforcement, social welfare, health systems, and education?  This is clearly not a one-department issue, yet there is little visible evidence of a unified strategy to address it.

There is also a growing strain within society itself. There are more instances of domestic conflict, more visible anger, more instability within families, and more young people drifting without direction. This is not just about crime, it is about the gradual weakening of the social fabric of Sikkim.

If this continues unchecked, the consequences will not be limited to individual incidents. It will affect the very structure of society. Trust will erode. Fear will replace confidence. And the Sikkim we once knew will no longer exist in any meaningful sense.

This letter is written out of a deep sense of concern, but also out of a demand for accountability. Citizens deserve to feel safe, not just in public spaces, but in their own homes.

So the question remains, and it demands a clear answer:

Are the police, the administration, and the systems in place truly doing enough to protect the people of Sikkim?

Because right now, it does not feel like they are.

Yours etc,

A Concerned Citizen Who No Longer Feels Safe

(Views are personal)