In a bid to keep the youth away from the influence of organised cybercrime, residents of Sukhpuri village in Nuh district have taken the drastic step of imposing a complete ban on smartphones.Following this, the remaining 57 villages, identified as cybercrime hotspots, have now pledged to adopt similar stringent measures.In a public display of this commitment in Sukhpuri, residents and village elders gathered to smash 55 mobile handsets on the ground. The event, held in the presence of local police officials, signalled a collective resolve to curb the illicit activities that have recently earned the region a notorious reputation as a national cybercrime hub.Defending the controversial decision, the sarpanch of Sukhpuri, Kausar, said the community was left with no choice but to protect its future. “The smartphone had become a kind of poison in our village, luring our young boys into the trap of phishing, sextortion and financial fraud. The village has been declared a hotspot; the police frequent it and children are not getting married,” the sarpanch said.“By severing our ties with these devices and enforcing a strict social boycott against anyone who uses them, we are sending a clear message that our community chooses hard work and honesty over the easy money of the crime world,” Kausar said.However, the directive has triggered a massive uproar among the local youth, who have vehemently objected to the move. They warn that such extreme measures will cripple their economic growth and push the entire region back by decades.Younis Khan, a local social media influencer whose livelihood depends entirely on digital platforms, voiced the frustration of the younger generation. “This blanket ban is completely archaic and feels like nothing more than a publicity stunt,” Younis said. “You cannot punish an entire generation for the crimes of a few. The panchayat and the police need to sit down and work out a proper, sensible way to wean people off cybercrime without snatching away our legitimate digital livelihoods,” he said. Following Sukhpuri, the panchayats of villages such as Bichhor, Indana, Kherla, Punhana and Lohinga Khurd are also planning a similar action.The tension continues to mount as young residents highlight their heavy dependence on smartphones for daily survival. Students are deeply concerned that being forced to switch to basic keypad phones will cut them off from essential educational resources, online classes and scholarship portals. The youth emphasised that in a modern economy, smartphones were an absolute necessity for everyday tasks such as making UPI payments, applying for jobs and sustaining social media channels that provide a legal, reliable income.