THE drug crisis has been brewing for years in Jammu and Kashmir. Why it has taken so long to enforce a crackdown of this magnitude is worrisome. That said, better late than never seems an apt counter to criticism over why such action now. Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, who is touring all 20 districts of the UT, has been spearheading the 100-day ‘Nasha-Mukt J&K March’. In south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, the campaign received endorsement from unlikely quarters, a splinter group of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami. Beyond the optics, it sent a message that’s hard to miss. Ideological differences aside, the fight against drug addiction is a lost cause without collective and sustained efforts.
The daily update on the arrest of alleged smugglers and peddlers confirms how widespread the drug menace is. Cancellation of driving licences, revocation of passports, claims of breaking the back of the narco-terror networks — the immediate outcomes of a clampdown are far too many. It gives an impression of a victory of sorts, even if illusory. Two metrics truly matter. The number of kingpins taken to task, and the situation on the ground the day after the authorities lower the tempo. Punjab is a case study on how even well-thought-of interventions in the fight against drugs can fall way short. The complexities involved call for comprehensive year-round strategies, not occasional operations. The key piece of the puzzle is gauging and then trying to address the underlying causes of addiction, be it unemployment, disillusionment, socio-economic inequalities, ready availability of drugs or peer pressure. Any laxity in the recovery and rehabilitation programmes, and the gains are lost.
Addiction is not playful indulgence. It’s a disease with no easy remedies. If choking the drug supply lines is critical, so is curbing the craving.
