Leads padyatra in Pulwama, says stopping one drug peddler means saving one life
Younus Rashid
Pulwama, May 19: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday warned those involved in drug smuggling and narco-terrorism that “no one can save you”, asserting that security agencies and the Jammu & Kashmir Police were pursuing the entire network.
Even those hiding “underground” would be traced and brought under the ambit of law, the LG said while addressing a large gathering in Pulwama in connection with the Nasha Mukt J&K Abhiyan. Later, he led a padyatra in the district, joined by local MLAs, government officers, officials, and a large number of people from different walks of life.
LG Sinha said the anti-drug campaign launched across Jammu and Kashmir 49 days ago has now turned into a people’s movement. What began on April 1 as a resolution against drugs in Jammu, he said, was aimed at ensuring that the future of the younger generation is not reduced to what he described as a “deal of death” in streets and villages.
In the past month, widespread public participation has been witnessed across districts, including Baramulla, Kupwara and Pulwama, where thousands of youth and parents have joined awareness drives against drugs. According to the LG, the silence that existed for years on the issue has now been broken.
Referring to enforcement action, Sinha said FIRs have been registered against drug traffickers, arrests have been made under the NDPS Act, and properties linked to drug networks have been attached. More than 800 drug traffickers have been arrested so far, over 84 properties attached, and large quantities of narcotics seized, he added.
“Licences, vehicle registrations, passports and other documents of those involved in drug trafficking are being cancelled as part of a coordinated crackdown,” he said, adding that thousands of inspections have been conducted on drug stores and several licences suspended or cancelled.
The campaign, according to LG Sinha, is being implemented on three fronts — dismantling the drug supply chain, spreading awareness at every level of society, and strengthening rehabilitation efforts for affected youth. More than 3.9 lakh awareness programmes have been held across the Union Territory, with participation from lakhs of people.
Calling rehabilitation a key part of the strategy, the Lieutenant Governor said counselling and treatment services are being expanded to bring affected youth back into the mainstream. Youth clubs and women’s groups have also been formed at the grassroots level to support the movement.
“The administration will continue strict action against drug traffickers, and the objective is not only arrests but dismantling the entire ecosystem of drug abuse,” he said.
Appealing for continued public participation, the LG said the campaign belongs to society as a whole and requires sustained collective effort. “Stopping one drug peddler means saving one life, and saving one life means weakening the larger threat to society,” he added.
The campaign will continue until the drug menace is completely eliminated from Jammu and Kashmir, the LG said.
