A regime in denial

The issue of drug menace in Punjab took centre stage on the eve of the 2012 Assembly elections when Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, seeking to blame the state government, claimed that 70% of the youth were drug addicts. His statement caused a furore, and the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP) government denied the allegations and asserted that an attempt was being made to “defame” Punjab and its youth.

The fact of the matter was that Rahul’s statement was based on an affidavit submitted by the state government to the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2009. The affidavit was filed on the basis of a study undertaken by R S Sandhu, a professor at the Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, in 2006. The affidavit, however, was based on a wrong interpretation of the exploratory study which had found that 73.50% of drug addicts – not 70% of the population – were youths.

On the other hand, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal claimed earlier this year that only 0.06% of the 2.77 crore population have been found to be abusing drugs “which is the lowest percentage across the nation”. The junior Badal based his comment on a study conducted by the society for promotion of Youth and Masses, an NGO, in collaboration with the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre of AIIMS. But the study was not about all kinds of drugs. It was confined to just one type of drug–opioids–which means products of opium plant such as heroine or morphine or synthetic drugs which affect the body like opium. Also it was based on a limited sample of 3,620 opioid-dependent people in Punjab.

The truth is somewhere between the two extreme positions taken by politicians, but the fact is that no empirical study has so far been undertaken in Punjab to establish the extent of drug addiction in the state. There is, however, a near unanimity on the view that the its tentacles have spread far and wide and it has emerged as a major menace despite the government’s denials.

Also, the Border Security Force (BSF), in a recent report on the problem to the Ministry of Home Affairs, a copy of which was also submitted to the High Court, pointed out that “synthetic drugs are freely available in border areas of Punjab. These can be purchased from chemists or local vendors”.

The problem of proliferation of drugs in Punjab has its roots in the nearly two decades of militancy during the 1980s and the 1990s. Described as narco-terrorism by experts, militants received support from across the border with Pakistan. They used the same routes which were earlier taken for the smuggling of gold but had to resort to drug smuggling to fund militancy. After the restoration of peace, the drug smugglers and cartels carried on their activities with the help of local politicians and security personnel, including the Punjab Police and the BSF.

Thus, no one familiar with Punjab’s countryside and small towns was shocked by what was depicted in the recent controversial film Udta Punjab. The movie reflected the present scenario in the state. Thanks to the Central Board of Film Certification and its chief Pahlaj Nihalani, the film attracted more attention than it would have otherwise received.

Tacit support

As depicted in the film, it is not possible for the proliferation of drugs without the involvement or tacit support from the politicians. Though the Akalis and the Congress had been denying involvement – and there has been no convictions involving politicians – the fact is that allegations have been levelled against some leaders from both the parties. A senior Punjab minister was recently questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after an accused in a major drugs smuggling racket named him. Names of some other ministers have also been doing the rounds, but none have been charged. Similarly, involvement of some Congress leaders was alleged but again no charges have been proved.

The issue has re-emerged ahead of the Assembly elections due in the state in February 2017. It is a subject which comes up in almost all political rallies and discussions. Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh publicly pledged that he would “finish” drugs menace from the state within four months of coming to power. Since the Congress has been out of power for a decade, it is shifting the onus on the SAD-BJP government for “shielding” drug cartels.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is making a concerted effort to wrest power in the state and is not burdened by any baggage of the past, is making the most out of the issue. The AAP has declared that eradication of drug menace would be among its top priorities if it was elected to power.

Though the promises are easier to make, these parties are at least talking of the menace which the ruling SAD-BJP combine is refusing to acknowledge. Whatever may be the extent of the problem, it is a fact that there is a perception among the people about the rot that has set in and they would like effective action to rein in the menace.

(The writer is a senior journalist based in Chandigarh)