Regain Societal Control to Subdue Drug Menace in Punjab

A couple of days back in my write up, I advocated coordinated response to subdue the drug menace, it being a national problem. After penning the piece, analyzed that but I advocated if implemented will certainly help in eradicating drugs from Punjab. However, question tickled, is national coordination on tackling this important security and societal problem possible. Conscious mind said “NO”. But why? Considering the current chaotic and polarized political discourse, national consensus approach to tackle drug menace in Punjab seems day dreaming. Such approach in democratic set up in Indian political scenario will not work since political parties lack maturity, unable to place nation above political interest. Such approach works when politicians are mature to rise above petty power politics and bureaucracy regains steel frame to act neutrally within constitutional frame work and societal needs. It may be a utopian dream in Indian political circus. In highly politically charged environment, coordinated approach may not work with or without ideologically different dispensations ruling at both ends. It has not worked in Punjab despite Akali-BJP coalition in state and centre. Reason is simple, the economic incentives from drugs trade are huge, demand enormous with no skills required to manage trade. Drug cartels are powerful enough to overwhelm and control political system with huge finance, easy availability of recruits to act as petty supply agents to fan the trade with customers available in societal strata in all age groups young to old. For youth it is means of employment despite risks involved. It is like cattle carriers in West Bengal called “RAKHAL” who prefer cattle smuggling a better option since returns outweigh risk involved. Youth prefer to earn Rs 2500/- per night through cattle smuggling or enormous amount through drug trade than toil in undignified and unremunerative employment market. “Yudh Nashian Virudh” initiative in Punjab and “Nasha Mukt Himachal Abhiyan” are good initiatives but need to broaden their appeal by making them inclusive movements integrating societal institutions starting from home, parents and siblings, panch as village nodal saathi, sarpanches, teachers & school children, college and university faculties, students, municipal wards with councilors as Saathi with households and NGOs all as societal partners. Unless these movements are broad-based, highly controlled, success will elude since children & youth are exposed to highly toxic environment with social media playing big role and little parental teacher control. Educational institutions are lethargic in spreading drug awareness through active institutional campaigns more focused on suppressing menace within. They have anti-drugs committees just to be in line with government mandate to spread drug awareness through seminars and webinars to be law compliant. They work academically without making it a student centric campaign movement within campuses. Police need to be sensitized in its approach towards drug addicts. Reality is that police approach is punishment oriented, humiliating & dehumanizing which contributes more in drug spread than control. Its actions create more criminals from addicts instead of reforming them. Governance system comprising Union Ministry of home affairs, state government have not succeeded in controlling drug menace from across the border, its spread in society despite sponsored campaigns for perception building which have limited reach among targeted audience. How to subdue drug menace in Punjab. There are three main responders to prevent drugs from across, prevent spread of drugs in society and reform addicts. The first responder is Ministry of home Affairs tasked to prevent cross border drug smuggling through Border Security Force. Border Security force surveillance needs strengthening integrating manpower and technology. Unless it is done effectively, drug flow from across from will continue plaguing society and youth in Punjab and neighboring states. The second responder is Punjab Government relying on police centric campaigns targeting youth. The campaign has not achieved desired results since police approach is more legal than human & social. Quantum of seizures by narcotics control bureau, by Border Security Force, arrests and seizures by Punjab police are no measure of success in war against drugs. All need to look within why their efforts have not fructified. The third responder is society which is network of population consisting of interacting and non-interacting individuals, shared social values and relations. Society despite drugs assuming monstrous proportions is still laid back and reclusive in its approach towards drug spread. What is alternative when first and second responder have been unable to subdue drug menace despite best intentions due to misplace priorities and impractical approach in addressing problem. Important aspect governments forget while seeking solutions to this prime social problem is the role of society. Government need to carpet bomb society with anti-drug movement but it will not happen. Therefore, onus entirely falls on society, the most important cog and responder in war against drugs. A micro societal approach will only work to get rid of drug spread and addiction. Society must focus more on face-to-face interactions, close societal group relations and interactions between individuals and small groups. Seminar and webinar approach which governments follow with limited audience offline and online tailored more for cameras may not be of much help since close social interaction and relationship approach is missing. Another aspect is efforts being made by NGOs. Are they serious and in right direction and how can coordination between government and social agencies improve situation. How society should proceed to address drug problem. There is no fixed template which fits as ideal to address spread of drugs in society. Society need to find ways to establish control which it had in the past, say when this writer was a in school/college. With the invasion of social media and western culture, societal control and interactive relations wherein individuals were emotionally attached to each other in villages/ mohallas has disappeared and so societal values wherein emotional relationship created close knit groups and where children respected elders also diminished and vanished. Earlier Children in village were treated as own by whole village, their wrongdoings snubbed by neighbors or reported to parents. Thus, a positive societal control was exercised within village which today is missing. This control has to be regained. In today’s environment, as emotionally interactive relations have disappeared, so is discipline among children and students. Now disciplining t is only parents’ job. Parents too are afraid of antagonizing child for fear of unknown and teachers control over children is thing of past due to various reasons. If such control is regained, children will grow as part of interactive societal circle than recluse individuals. Next comes role of parenting. Parents must teach children social values and learn to say no to their unreasonable demands. In today’s society, parents are afraid to say no to children. They rely more on mobile to interact with children than face to face interactions maintain for close social bonding to stop them from straying in wrong direction. In Punjab & Himachal notice minors driving motorcycles without helmet and probably without license being underage with grown up as pillion. A wrong doing legitimized and encouraged losing control as parent. Next as part of society is role of teachers at primary, middle and higher secondary levels. Teachers have to regain their status of an ideal among children to regain control over children, earn their trust and interact with them forming small interactive groups and monitor them as mentors. If societal value are ingrained in children by parents, teachers, village /mohalla wherein child is ingrained with relationship value system will keep him detached from social evils like drugs. Thereafter comes the role of NGOS, role of government & private sector in providing employment opportunities. Relentless societal involvement in regaining old value system aided by NGOs will certainly help in controlling spread of drugs in Punjab. Do not treat addicts as criminals and jail them. Treat them as addicts, de-addict, reform and rehabilitate them. Humanistic approach with strong societal controls and value system is only way to rid society of drug spread. Government must stand with society and focus more on society centric and not police centric approach.