The Government of India on Tuesday informed the Parliament that Jammu & Kashmir recorded over 1,800 cases of drug smuggling between 2022 and 2024, with cannabis being the most commonly trafficked substance and nearly 2400 drug peddlers were arrested during this period. Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, in response to a question told Lok Sabha that J&K registered 592 cases of cannabis smuggling in 2022, which increased to 641 in 2023 before slightly declining to 617 in 2024. He further revealed that that 765, 865 and 813 alleged drug peddlers were arrested in the years 2022, 23 and 24 respectively in J&K.
The figures presented in the Parliament are alarming and should awaken the people here from the deep slumber. The drug trade is eating into the very vitals of our society. In these columns we have repeatedly been discussing about drug trafficking and abuse. Unfortunately, the menace continues unabated. Not a single day passes when the local media doesn’t report about arrest of some drug peddlers somewhere in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The frequent reportage indicates that the menace is wide spread and though the daily reports may not be attracting public eye but it undoubtedly speaks volumes about the rot that the society is face to face with.
It is satisfactory to note that the government is working on the issue seriously and JK Police too has been working tirelessly to deal with the issue. It is because of these efforts that huge quantities of contraband drugs are being seized almost every day. Though a lot is being written and said about the issue and the concerned government agencies are trying their best to help the addicts to overcome the menace and start their lives afresh, the menace continues to grow in size with every passing day. Fact of the matter is that drug trafficking and abuse can’t be dealt only with official machinery, few social organization and doctors alone. It needs a strong and collective response from the citizenry.
People need to understand that those who grow bhang in their agricultural farms and those who pump in heroine and brown sugar into Jammu and Kashmir are the worst enemies of the people here. They may be earning money while doing so but that money is being earned at the cost of the health and lives of local youth. It is high time that people wake up to this disaster in the making and fight the battle against drug trafficking. Religious leaders, both in Kashmir and Jammu, can play a vital role in fighting this battle. The mohalla and village elders too need to play their role. As responsible citizens they should keep an eye on their respective areas and if they find someone involved in such crimes, they should take help from law enforcing agencies to stop the crime.