Hurricane of Drugs in Punjab
There is growing concern in India about the rapid rise in drug addiction cases in Punjab, one of the country's wealthiest states.
It has been claimed that 70% (2 out of 3) of young Punjabi men are hooked on drugs or alcohol.The problem is at its worst along the border with Pakistan where heroin originating from Afghanistan is smuggled into the country.
Last year the authorities arrested a senior Narcotics Control Board officer for running a major drug peddling operation in Punjab valued at billions of rupees. He is under prosecution, but the syndicate he was a part is reportedly still active.
During the Sikh insurgency, a nexus evolved between narcotic smugglers from Pakistan and local insurgent groups who used the proceeds to fund their “war of liberation” for an independent Sikh homeland.
And though most of the smuggling routes thereby established have since disappeared, the victims they spawned en route have since proliferated – creating a contagion that Punjab ignores at its peril..
Now it is time to be aware of it and take preventive steps to stop it. If it is not taken seriously then our future is in real danger.
Lets be responsible and start awareness program about drug addiction.
