The situation in Punjab is extremely serious
The international heroin smuggling racket busted by Punjab Police on Sunday is only the latest in a series of such raids that has highlighted the extent of the drug menace in Punjab. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, Punjab had the highest number of people —14,564 — booked under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1985 last year. More than half of the State's youth reportedly abuse drugs, which is 18 times higher than the national average. The drug problem in Punjab is complex and multi-faceted. It has played out at four levels and must be addressed at each stage: Political, law-enforcement, financial and humanitarian. In the first case, it is acknowledged that one of the important factors for the Shiromani Akali Dal's performance in the parliamentary election was the ruling party's perceived inability to effectively handle the problem. This also adversely impacted the poll tally of its national ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party. That the latter scripted a historic victory elsewhere in the country, but, together with its ally, secured less than half of the lok Sabha seats in Punjab speaks volumes about how upset the public has been with the political response to the issue. There is a strong perception that certain politicians, including from the Congress and the ruling combine, have blessed the drug trade and benefitted from it. Instead of blaming each other, Akali Dal and Congress politicians should put their heads together to find a lasting solution to the crisis. There is a silver lining here. Post-election, the Punjab Government has cracked down on suppliers, smugglers, sellers and buyers alike. More than 3,300 people were arrested in just one fortnight as the result of a special police drive, launched soon after the election result was announced. Two dozen police officers, with suspected links to drug racketeers, were also suspended.
But, while the police crackdown is welcome, Punjab's drug malaise will not end as long as some people continue to make millions by peddling narcotics in the State. The annual drug trade in Punjab is estimated at a whopping Rs 60,000 crore. In the long run, the Government has to go after the big fish, which must involve collaborating with the Union Government and other State regimes to choke supply points along the India-Pakistan border. Until then, merely incarcerating small-time drug runners will not help much. Moreover, apart from the market value of the drug trade, it is also important to factor in the socio-economic cost that is extracted in equal measure from individuals and the society at large. Effectively, an entire generation of educated, able-bodied youths, which should have been contributing to the State's development and progress, has been wasted by the scourge of narcotics that has eaten into the vitals of Punjab's once vibrant society. Stories of boys as young as 10 carrying drugs in their school bags as their fathers languish in jail on charges of drug trafficking no longer raise eyebrows. Every other family is dealing with an addict at home. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has announced new rehabilitation centres in 22 districts. This comes after existing facilities reached a saturation point as thousands of addicts, deprived of their fill following the police crackdown, checked into rehabilitation centres.