With elections only about four months away, every party is attacking the other and promising a drug-free Punjab. Political commentator Prof. Manjit Singh is not impressed. Such assurances, he says, mean nothing.
Addiction, he points out, is not only a complex problem, but also one that touches a large number of people. And that’s exactly — if not only — why all parties raise it. His verdict is scathing: no one is serious. There is no concrete plan, no roadmap and no budget estimate. Above all, Singh says, there is no political will.
The reality behind all the slogans is a deeply entrenched, multi-layered crisis with consequences for public health, the economy and security. It has lasted over three decades and outlived governments of different hues. Successive leaderships have promised change, launched campaigns, set up specialised enforcement units and expanded rehabilitation.
Yet the crisis persists, which raises hard questions about the long-term effectiveness of these efforts.
Surveys, including those cited by parliamentary panels and dependence studies, suggest that millions are affected, with opioid users running into lakhs. Among them is a worrying number of minors and young adults.
The trade is also no longer simply a matter of law and order. Investigations into organised crime, weapon smuggling and attacks on law enforcement often point to a narco-terror nexus funded or coordinated by external handlers.
Punjab does not produce drugs. The crops from which they are made are not grown in this state. But its geography, with a porous international border, has made it a natural transit route and, increasingly, a target. Opium and poppy husk were once dominant. Today it’s heroin and high-potency synthetic drugs and smugglers are using cross-border drones, which complicate border security.
