Jaibans Singh
On 16 March 2022, with great fanfare, Bhagwant Mann, a sitting Member of Parliament from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) forfeited his seat and was sworn in as the 17th Chief Minister of Punjab. His party had sailed into power with a powerful victory, winning 92 out of 117 seats of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.
The beleaguered state consumed, among many challenges, by a debilitating problem of drug abuse looked at him with hope and anticipation. After all, he and his party leaders, including the party convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, had promised to eradicate drugs on priority.
While making this promise, AAP knew that it was playing with fire considering that the one big reason for the defeat of the Congress was the inability of the party to stand by a similar promise that it had made five years earlier. Yet, the Mann government paid only lip service to the promise and, instead, concentrated all money, time and resources in building the political standing of the party at the national level, especially the persona of Arvind Kejriwal.
The drug issue was pushed ahead with new deadlines ranging from six months to a year. The present scenario marks the fourth deadline given by AAP in three years, not counting the initial promise of eradication in ten days.
Having suffered an irreparable set-back to its national objectives, the party is now in a desperate situation. Its survival depends on saving its presence in Punjab. Naturally, containing drug abuse has been brought to the forefront. The AAP led government of Punjab launched its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” (war against drugs) campaign on 1 March 2025, again with much fanfare.
In accordance with the established modus operandi, this AAP campaign is also high on rhetoric and low on application. The party has already declared a resounding success of the first phase of the campaign which aimed at making the state free from the sale and consumption of drugs. It has declared the launch of the second phase that would include de-addiction and rehabilitation.
The ground reality is quite different. Col. Jaibans Singh (retd) and Shri SR Ladhar, former IAS, both from the social welfare organisation Global Punjabi Association were approached by a social activist from Mansa, S. Jagjit Singh Milkha, to visit village Jherianwali in District Mansa that had witnessed the death of four youth in ten days due to drug abuse.
On inquiry it was revealed that the poor and illiterate families of the victims, under pressure of police and administration, had not reported these as deaths due to drug abuse and as such, no post mortem have been conducted and no FIR registered. The pressure was obviously with the intention of hiding the death by drug overdose from public scrutiny since their coming out would severely impact the “Yudh Nashian Virudh” program of the AAP led Government of Punjab. The matter was taken up with the administration and an inquiry has been instituted. However, the question is – How many such unaccounted deaths due to drug abuse are taking place across Punjab?
In recent days, four addicts from one village of District Ferozepur named Lakho Ke Behram, died within days due to drug abuse. All were in their mid-twenties. The police launched its cover-up operations by stating that these were chronic cases going back to years of abuse. This line is being adopted to bolster the government’s claim that the state is now free from the sale and consumption of drugs.
It is also reported that after the aforementioned deaths, the Ferozepur police seized 7 lakh Tepantadol (opium based pain reliever drug) tablets and 1.18 lakh Pregablin capsules (Neuropathic pain medication) from a medical agency. Why was this action not taken earlier? There are seven to eight medical shops in the village where these deaths have taken place. Obviously, they are earning money through illegal sale of pharmaceutical drugs. The government has not brought such shops under scrutiny. The people now say that drug delivery is at their doorstep.
The deaths in Mansa and Ferozepur clearly indicate that the drug supply chain remains intact, and Punjabi youth, including women, continue to abuse drugs, with overdose related deaths still occurring.
Recently, the chief minister has declared the constitution of a high-powered cabinet sub-committee to intensify the ‘War on Drugs.’ The committee will be mandated to carry out day-to-day scrutiny of the “war.” The AAP actually wants the people to believe that the committee will be instrumental in making Punjab drug free. Nobody has any faith in the outcome of this initiative.
High Prevalence of Substance Abuse
A recent study has established that the prevalence of substance abuse in Punjab is 65.5 percent which is very high indeed. The most common substance abuse is alcohol (41.8 percent). Alcohol consumption in Punjab is considered to be the highest in the world. The next in line is tobacco (21.3 percent). Alongside, non-alcohol and non-tobacco substance abuse is as high as 34.8 percent, of which heroin consumption constitutes 20.8 percent. A majority of drug abusers, around 70 percent, come from a rural background.
Reports and surveys indicate that while upper caste Sikhs use alcohol and opium and generally avoid tobacco products, the lower strata consume almost all available drugs. The poor are moving towards cheap medical drugs, available at chemist shops and from the quacks in the neighbourhood. Now, the rich youth are also trying smack in the cities where they are sent for studies by their parents. Every third male and every 10th female student in the state has had drugs on one occasion or the other.
The drug addicts are getting so desperate that they constantly look for cheaper alternatives to get their daily doze. Some dip a piece of cotton wool in petrol, keep it under their nose and inhale the air. Others eat burnt lizards or rub boot polish onto the back of their neck. An old method is to rub Bhang on their hands and insert the residue into the tobacco of a normal cigarette making in more lethal. Even correction fluid, a simple stationary item used to remove writing or typing errors on papers, is commonly used as a drug. The list is very long and depressing.
A Historical Perspective
The drug menace in Punjab is a cocktail of material availability in abundance, ably supported by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence and a well-oiled network on both sides of the border that has been in place since independence.
The drug supply system has established its root post partition. Border management rested with Punjab Armed Police leading to creation of a police-politician nexus that reaped huge benefits over decades. Smugglers get physical protection from law. The establishment of Hawala routes to siphon money back to the seller or provider of narcotics is a child’s play for these powerful elements.
Sadly, many of the politicians involved are big landlords who did not need to indulge in such immoral and criminal activity. It seems that the lure of big money is too much for them to ignore. Their greed has, in large part, created the existing crisis situation. Ineffectual political will to tackle the menace, whether driven by complicity or sheer mismanagement or both, has led to aggravation of the problem to its present form. Further, Punjab’s proximity to the heroin-producing Golden Crescent of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran has made the region more vulnerable.
The illegal sale of medicines has now become the bedrock of the drug trade. The chemists do not ask for a prescription, and they do not keep any inventory of the drugs sold. They even sell the medicine in bulk to individuals. This is the biggest money making racket of all.
The drug menace in Punjab also poses a huge security risk. Sending drugs to the border areas like Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the proxy war that Pakistan has unleashed on India since the last several decades.
A Proposed Mechanism to Control Drug Abuse
A rise in public awareness is the biggest factor that can help control drug proliferation. There has to be participation of civil society to achieve a drug free society. Vigilance at multiple levels from the home to the school and other meeting places is essential. The youth have to be kept engaged in productive activities like sports and cultural festivals etc. Timely employment and gainful occupation has to be ensured. Role models, religious teachers, academicians etc. all have to chip in.
The invocation of Sikhi and the teachings of the Gurus can be of great value especially in the rehabilitation phase. Living a life with Rehat Maryada (religious tradition) can strengthen cultural moorings and lift self-esteem and spirits of the youth, especially those who have fallen prey to the addiction.
Family, especially the women of the family, can play an important role. Relapse cases are happening more due to the generational gap between parents and children. After recovery, an addict comes back to his family and looks for acceptability and respect. Chances of a relapse decrease if the attitude of the family, especially the mother and the sisters, is one filled with love and concern.
Punjab has a traditional proclivity towards substance abuse. It is best to understand and contain the environment instead of locking horns with it. Opium and Bhukki have always been part of Punjabi culture and folklore. They do not have as serious an effect as chitta, heroin and medical opiates. A legal system can be put in place to ensure controlled availability of these drugs, as in the case of alcohol and tobacco.
Concluding Remarks
Drug abuse is a global phenomenon affecting almost every country, but its extent and characteristics differ from region to region. India too is caught in this vicious circle. The number of drug addicts is increasing by the day. In Punjab, drug abuse has acquired proportions of a pestilence and has shaken the social fabric of the region.
It is now spreading its tentacles to Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, J&K and Rajasthan. Himachal Pradesh is already gaining a reputation as the Marijuana capital of India and is veering towards chitta and heroin.
Illicit drug abuse not only affects the health and lives of individuals but also undermines the political, social, and cultural foundation of society. There is evidence that drugs damage the brain, increase the risk of strokes, seizures, dementia, cause liver diseases, cancer and hypertension and a host of other serious medical issues.
Regions prone to drug abuse witness lack of productivity, transmission of infectious diseases, family and social disorder, crime, and excessive utilization of health care. More so, drug addicts lead a miserable life hanging between life and death.
Punjab has made an above average contribution towards national development in the security as well as economic front, before and after independence of the country. It has paid a very big price during the partition and yet remained steadfast. It is the cradle of one of the oldest civilisations in the world.
It is in the national interest to maintain this sensitive state at the highest threshold of morale and well being to ensure that its people continue to make their valuable contribution. Drug abuse can shatter the very foundation of Punjab. Contesting this evil needs to be liked upon as a national imperative.