Still flying low: Captain Amarinder, it's been 68 weeks since you came to power. Udta Punjab has not landed yet
Dear Captain Amarinder Singh ji,
I, Sadhavi Khosla, a daughter of Punjab, am writing this letter to remind you of the oath you took to wipe out drugs from the state before the next Assembly polls. This letter is my attempt to come right out and say what you won't acknowledge — your government has failed to fulfil the pre-poll promises that helped the Congress resume power in Punjab after 10 years of exile.
You might overlook the dire straits that Punjab is in today, but I cannot. I am too distressed to ignore the misery that has engulfed my home state. As drugs continue to wreak havoc in Punjab and the state fights with the worst drug crisis in its history, it is appalling how ineffective your government has been in handling the most dreadful issue.
During the run-up to the Assembly polls, you vociferously stated that you would put an end to the drug menace within four weeks after assuming office. The moment you took the holy Gutka Sahib in your hands and swore by it, you became a symbol of hope for every Punjabi. And your presence during the screening of my documentary on drug abuse on March 17, 2016, along with Shri Rahul Gandhi, furthered the hopes of every Punjabi that their land would regain its lost glory under your governance.
I would like to remind you of that the promise you had made to me in the presence of 500-plus intellectuals of Punjab, that you will break the deadly drug nexus between the police, politicians and drug mafia. Punjab is waiting.
Fast forward to today and that strong political will to take Punjab out of the deadly claws of drugs is missing. Tragically, Punjab is losing more than one life to drug overdose every day. It's been over 68 weeks of your governance and Punjab still awaits freedom from drugs.
Now that Punjab is observing a "Black Week" against Chitta from July 2, the spate of deaths of youngsters that has occurred due to drug abuse in the past one month alone shows the incapability of your government in fighting the evil. The state has recorded over 42 deaths in 32 days, putting the government to shame. And it's the very same Congress government that won a huge mandate in the 2017 election because of its promises to eradicate drugs from Punjab, bring more jobs for the youth, break the drug nexus and take action against Bikram Singh Majithia, who was allegedly involved in a multi-crore drug trafficking racket.
By backing up your words with action, you could have given Congress the golden opportunity it needed to make a national-level comeback. You could have presented Punjab as a success story for Congress, giving the party its very own Gujarat Model for the 2019 general elections.
The foot-dragging of your government to fulfil all these promises and especially to initiate a CBI probe against Majithia reflects the sad truth of Punjab politics.
Sir, if the action isn't taken against Majithia, it will be a betrayal of the trust that Punjabis placed in you. Today, social media is abuzz with videos of drug addicts lying unconscious on streets in different parts of the state.
Lately, many of your cabinet ministers have voiced the need to take strict action against all those police officials who are allegedly involved in drug trade. While you have replaced controversial Moga SSP Raj Jit Singh, who was accused of patronising inspector Inderjit Singh (an alleged drug smuggler), with Kanwaljit Singh Dhillon, this is just an eyewash. For Dhillon too is a drug-tainted policeman who has been accused of cancelling a 2013 drug smuggling case against three junior cops who allegedly paid him Rs 40 lakh for completing the job.
In June, a horrifying case surfaced where a DSP allegedly pushed a Ludhiana woman into drugs and raped her. In another incident, a police constable reportedly snatched a woman's chain to satiate his need for drugs in Chandigarh's Sector 22.
And quite recently, a 32-year-old mother of two shared her experience of renting her house to drug addicts to make ends meet. The situation worsened, and she too became a drug addict which eventually forced her into prostitution. In a shocking revelation, she claimed that police officers also frequented her place to abuse drugs.
All these cases and many more convey the horror story that Punjab has been witnessing today. Sadly, rule enforcers have turned into rule-breakers and how.
What's more disturbing is the fact that on the one hand, there are cabinet ministers who are concerned about your government's inaction on its anti-drug promise. And on the other, there are people like Punjab sports minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, who are hell-bent on justifying your government's inability to work on your election promises with statements like eradicating drug menace is not possible within a short span of time.
Perhaps, you and your ministers need to realise that unless and until the deadly nexus of police, politicians, and drug mafia is hacked, the situation of Punjab isn't going to improve.
Implementing a three-pronged strategy of enforcement, de-addiction, and prevention with the help of the Special Task Force (STF) isn't sufficient. While it is appreciable that your Cabinet has decided to recommend death penalty for drug traffickers, and that you have ordered mandatory dope test for all government employees, including policemen; these steps alone won't block the drug supply as long as there is demand and as long as heavy hitters like Majithia are roaming free.
Reportedly, more than half the drugs that are confiscated across the country are seized in Punjab. This data on drug use indicates a cause for concern. The dreadful drug system is well-rooted in society as well as in governance. This is why government's political purges should traverse drug cartels, abusers, and office-bearers alike.
You cannot escape this problem by doing so little. I understand your approach to this war on drugs. But, your conscience knows that we are at a standstill.
Sir, you must start over your mission to erase drugs from Punjab by first taking action against Majithia. Your silence on acting against Majithia in letter and spirit has been the Achilles' heel for your government. The reason might be best known to you, but Punjab cannot afford to suffer any longer.
Today, drugs are ordered through WhatsApp messages. Locations are shared and consignments are delivered without police officials even having an inkling. Drug consignments are also reaching India from Pakistan with the help of divers who use re-breathers so that bubbles aren't formed, and international borders can be navigated without getting caught.
Your government needs some quick revolutionary measures to crack down on the use of technology that's currently supporting the drug trade.
Portugal's radical anti-drugs policy should be a lesson for Punjab. Ever since the country decriminalised all drugs in 2001, Portugal has witnessed a huge drop in drug overdose cases and drug-related crimes. Those found with small quantities (up to a 10-day supply) of drugs are either given a warning, a small fine or asked to appear before a local commission comprising a doctor, a social worker and a lawyer. This commission then counsels the drug addict and provides them mandatory medical treatment.
Thus, rather than labelling the purchase or possession of drugs in small quantities as a crime, they treat it as an administrative offense. This no courtroom, no jail approach has resulted in a considerable decrease in the number of HIV infections and drug-related deaths in Portugal.
Punjab must follow suit and implement a strong anti-drug policy at the earliest. We must treat drug addiction as a moral problem and solve it through adequate support services, rather than through incarceration.
Sir, please understand that drugs impair not just the addicts but the society as a whole. They hit everyone. There have been cases where family members of drug addicts are left with no choice but to end their lives because of their helplessness to take their kith and kin out of the harrowing circle of drugs.
To end the ugly drug menace, the government must invest in compulsory rehabilitation as hundreds of Punjabis fail to receive proper treatment at a facility. The dreadful conditions of these rehabilitation centres across the state should also be improved.
Moreover, there is a pressing need to conduct sensitisation programmes on drugs abuse and prevention in schools and colleges. The government should also launch adequate employment and skill development schemes to take the youth out of oblivion.
It's about time you decided to walk the talk and took Punjab back to its glorious days. Make your last term before political exile a memorable one for the people of Punjab.
Punjab, the land of Gurus and five rivers, the land of prosperity, the land of bravery, deserves better and bigger.
The people of Punjab are coming apart at the seams. We have already lost a lot of time. And we can't wait any longer for the results that you once promised.
Remember that Punjabis and the Congress party members are still pinning their hopes on you.
You must take immediate action against Majithia and the tainted Akali leaders who have ruined Punjab with years of misgovernance. And give Punjabis a ray of hope to overcome the drug menace that has grown to epidemic proportions.
My heartfelt request to you: You must save Punjab from dying this slow death.
A heartbroken Punjabi