We are halfway through the 100-day ‘Nasha Mukt Jammu and Kashmir’ campaign. June 11 marks two months of the anti-drug drive. It was on April 11 that Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha launched the ambitious initiative to rid Jammu and Kashmir of drug and substance use. The campaign has been a roaring success so far. Law enforcement agencies have moved heaven and earth to crush once-thriving drug cartels. Peddlers, smugglers and abettors are on the run. Police and other agencies have been able to strike fear into the drug mafia. So far, 1,036 FIRs have been registered, and 1,128 drug smugglers arrested. More than 100 properties have been attached, and 700 driving licences cancelled. Recommendations have been made to cancel passports of 130 drug smugglers. LG Sinha has led anti-drug rallies across the union territory with precision. What began as a war against drugs and narco-terrorism has now been transformed into a people’s movement. From common men on the streets to homemakers and from religious scholars to students, everyone has contributed to make this movement successful. Unlike other states, drug smuggling and consumption are not random crimes in Jammu and Kashmir. It is a deliberate conspiracy to incapacitate our youth and human resources. Since security forces have crushed terror, our enemies have unleashed drugs to spoil the future generation. Like Punjab, the terror sponsors have been working hard to avenge their defeat. Our enemies could not bear our achievements. So they conspired to convert UT into another Udta Jammu and Kashmir. However, LG Sinha sensed their nefarious designs and decided to go whole hog against the drug mafia. People overwhelmingly supported the initiative. We have reached a point where mere reference to drugs evokes a strong reaction. This fear was missing earlier. We had seen how drug smugglers made a fortune by spoiling our youth. Just glance through the FIRs, and you will come to know how much money these peddlers have accumulated. It was not as if our enforcement was weak earlier. We needed a leader who could call a spade a spade and grab peddlers by their collars. Having said so, people are asking what after 100 days. The momentum should continue. LG Sinha should extend the campaign beyond 100 days and intensify the crackdown against the drug peddlers and smugglers. The government initiative to help the abusers is a welcome step. We should, however, be cautious. We should not let smugglers slip through this gap. There should be a background check of all abusers. Only the genuine ones should be rehabilitated. Those who double up as peddlers and smugglers should be sternly dealt with. We have come a long way to weather the miles. We should now consolidate these gains.
War on drugs
