These days a frightening trend seems to be developing in Haryana. Every week, from somewhere or the other, news comes that some youth went for a walk with his friends and returned dead. These incidents are not just newspaper headlines, but a gruesome picture of the flaws of our social fabric and system. 'Friendship' is now becoming synonymous with 'accident'.

Events that shock
Many such incidents have come to light in Haryana in the last few weeks:
Two youths drowned in a lake in Hisar, where they had gone for a picnic with their friends. The family members allege that their friends kept making videos and did not help them.
In Sonipat, a boy was strangled to death by his friends and then his body was thrown into a canal.
The body of a student was found in a forest in Rewari, who was last seen with his friends.
These incidents have several similarities: (1) The youths were with trusted friends,
The family had no information as to where he actually went,
The role of friends after the death remained suspicious.
The crime behind friendship
It is believed that friendship is the strongest relationship, thicker than blood. But this belief is crumbling in Haryana. Now cases of jealousy, competition, deceit and even murder are coming to light in the name of friendship. Many times these friends involve each other in dangerous activities like drugs, gambling, bike racing.
The helplessness and mute cries of families
The biggest sufferers of these incidents are the parents who sent their children off smilingly and then found them dead. They are unable to understand whether the mistake was theirs or the system's or that 'friendship' in which they had blindly trusted.
Many times the family does not even know with whom the child has gone. The world of social media and mobile has created a false transparency in which everything is visible, but the truth is hidden somewhere.
system failure
The attitude of the administration and the police has also been very lethargic in these cases. In most cases, the police takes action only when the media exerts pressure or the family members come out on the streets. In the initial report, the case is often hushed up by calling it an accident.
Location tracing of children, information about their movements, security arrangements at parks and tourist places—all these seem to be lacking drastically.
Lack of education and communication
Another big reason is the lack of communication with the youth. Family, teachers and society see the youth only through the lens of 'career' or 'marriage'. Who are your friends? What are the stresses in life? In which direction are you thinking?—no one pays attention to these questions.
When silence replaces dialogue, friendship becomes the biggest influence—whether it’s positive or destructive.
Will every walk lead to death?
Will every parent now have to be scared when their child says, "I am going out with friends"? Will the youth now have to undergo police verification to go out? As absurd as these questions seem, they are equally real in today's context.
If society does not take warning now, the day is not far when the word 'friendship' itself will be feared.
path to solution
To stop these incidents, mere grief or anger will not suffice; we will have to take concrete steps:
Youth Safety Policy: Haryana government should formulate a separate policy for the safety of youth, which should include information about travelling groups, security at tourist places, and emergency helplines.
Communication with parents: Schools and colleges should have programmes to promote communication between parents and children.
Psychological counselling: Youth should get counselling and mental health support so that they can understand the difference between right and wrong friendship.
Social media monitoring: Many times the roots of fights or jealousy arise from platforms like Instagram, Snapchat or WhatsApp. Parents also have to be vigilant about digital behavior.
Strict legal action: In cases where friends are found to be the culprits, quick and strict action should be taken to send a clear message.
Making the youth self-reliant: Such content and dialogue should be added to the education system that can teach the youth life values, understanding of relationships and sensitivity.
The meaning of friendship needs to be redefined
The youth of Haryana need a society where friendship is synonymous with trust, not fear. And parents also need an environment where they can send off their children with a smile—without the fear of whether they will return or not.
We must together ensure that the path of friendship does not become the destination of death. Otherwise, the day is not far when every parent's heart will tremble on hearing "I am going with my friends".

Email:----------------priyankasaurabh9416@outlook.com