The Congress Deputy leader in the lok Sabha, Capt Amarinder Singh, on Sunday said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi”s “Mann ki Baat” on drugs “should have been more action-oriented than just a wish-list”.
“Prime Minister must set the agenda and tell the nation what he plans to do and not just what should be done,” Capt Amarinder said in a statement following Modi”s address to the nation on radio on Sunday morning. Modi, addressing the nation for the third time through “Mann ki Baat” programme of All India Radio, has expressed serious concern over growing drug menace among the youths of the country. He called drug addiction as a “psycho-socio-medical problem,” saying that the same was leading the youth to darkness, destruction and devastation.
He recalled his visit to Punjab where rate of addiction is reportedly higher, saying that women had expressed their anguish over the problem. Saying drug addiction is bad, he stressed the need for joint effort of individuals, family, society and government to curb this national problem. Modi said that administration has been asked to set up a nationwide toll free helpline which will help the people share drug related problems.
Talking about recent DGPs conference in Assam, he said that the police department has been directed to have a detailed deliberation on drug addiction and ways to overcome it. Modi advocated for starting movement on social media — #DrugsFreeIndia — to raise awareness. He also urged the celebrities in the field of sports, culture, and cinema, to take a lead for creating awareness
Welcoming the Prime Minister”s concern about the scourge of drugs the country is confronted with, Punjab”s former Chief Minister said: “Who can feel the pain more than us in Punjab where an entire generation has been threatened.” Punjab faces an acute problem of drug addiction with reports and surveys in recent years suggesting that nearly 70 per cent of its population was affected by drugs.
“It is good that the issue has attracted the attention of the Prime Minister and I hope that the “Mann ki Baat” will not end up in the heart only but will be taken to its logical conclusion,” said Capt Amarinder. He noted that he had been insisting on a “National Drug Policy” as different States have different laws regarding the drugs, which makes the peddling easy.
“In a State like Madhya Pradesh, opium is allowed to be grown, while in Rajasthan, it is allowed to be traded and a neighbouring State like Punjab becomes a fertile market,” he pointed. “We have seen sons and daughters, brothers and sisters and their entire families getting devastated. In Amritsar, the area I represent in Parliament, there is a village of widows with 90 per cent of women losing their husbands to drugs,” said Capt Amarinder, adding that there were multiple aspects to the supply and availability of drugs.
“There were those coming from Pakistan and Afghanistan, those coming from the states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and also produced locally for a cheap price,”he said. He added, “Narco-terrorism is only one of the aspects of the problem that the Prime Minister touched. The dimensions of this menace are threateningly more dangerous and devastating than even terrorism. While terrorists indulge in hit and run, the drugs ruin an entire generation constantly and continuously.”