Kerala activist's anti-drug post goes viral after son's arrest for MDMA possession

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A social media post against the drug menace by a noted socio-political activist from South Kerala has gone viral after his son was caught by the police with a small quantity of synthetic drugs.

Deadlock persists in Rajasthan Assembly; Cong MLAs boycott Vaikunda Swami Dharma Pracharana Sabha (VSDPS) chairman Vishnupuram Chandrasekharan, who is also an office-bearer of the BJP-led NDA, stated that no effort would be made to protect his son, "although the drugs were seized from one of his friends."

"Even if it is my son, a wrong is a wrong. If he has committed a crime, he must be punished. Those who eat salt must drink water. Therefore, there has been no intervention in this matter, and there will be none in the future," he said in a Facebook post, on Thursday. Chandrasekharan's elder son, along with two of his friends, was caught with approximately 0.11 grams of MDMA on Tuesday.

All three were arrested, booked under the relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, and later released on station bail. He also said that he does not believe the police deliberately trapped his son.

"They only did their job," he added. In his post, Chandrasekharan further stated that drugs destroy generations and their use cannot be justified. "Therefore, let the police take their course.

Today, such an experience happened in my own family. Tomorrow, it could happen to someone else," he said. He mentioned that this was the first time he had encountered such an incident in his long public life and that he would continue to fight against drug addiction.

Speaking out strongly against the drug menace, he said that children were getting addicted without realising what was happening. Referring to the incident, Chandrasekharan claimed that "drugs are devouring Kerala" and that "devils are spreading their nets, targeting children".

He urged parents in Kerala to take as much care of their children as possible since "monitoring their activities and friendships was difficult". Chandrasekharan warned that children are now getting addicted to drugs unknowingly, as narcotics "sometimes come in the form of ice creams or sweets".

"Once addicted, they become trapped. They (kids) do not realise what they are doing once the intoxicants spread through their veins," he said in his post, urging the Excise and police departments to remain highly vigilant.

He also told a news channel that, according to his son Sivaji, a vast network of drug suppliers operates in Thiruvananthapuram district, primarily targeting college students. "My son has promised that he will not use drugs anymore and will fight against them.

He admitted to using drugs for the last six months. I never suspected it," Chandrasekharan said, adding that many children, including his own, "have fallen victim to the drug menace". His son, Sivaji, told the channel that he initially saw his friends using drugs and eventually started using them himself. "A lot of people get addicted in this manner. I have realised my mistake," Sivaji said.

Chandrasekharan is the leader of the Vaikunda Swami Dharma Pracharana Sabha (VSDPS), a prominent organisation primarily representing the Nadar community in South Kerala.