Jammu: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has said that the drug menace in Jammu and Kashmir has emerged as a serious challenge over the past one-and-a-half years, asserting that narcotics smuggling and terrorism are closely interconnected and backed by forces from across the border.
In an interview, Sinha said the anti-drug campaign launched in Jammu and Kashmir on April 11 was designed after extensive consultations with stakeholders, educational institutions, parents and administrative officials who had expressed growing concern over the increasing spread of substance abuse among the youth.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan” launched in 2020, the Lieutenant Governor said the campaign has had a visible impact across the country, including Jammu and Kashmir, with increased seizures, arrests and registration of FIRs against drug traffickers.
“Compared to earlier times, seizures have increased, arrests have gone up and the supply chain has been disrupted to some extent,” Sinha said, while noting that the administration felt the problem was becoming more alarming in Jammu and Kashmir in recent years.
The LG said the administration is working on three major fronts to tackle the menace — dismantling the supply chain, expanding awareness campaigns and strengthening rehabilitation measures for victims of addiction.
Calling rehabilitation the “most challenging task,” Sinha said efforts are being made to ensure that affected youth receive proper support and treatment so they can return to mainstream society.
Highlighting the crackdown carried out by law enforcement agencies, he said the Jammu and Kashmir Police had undertaken extensive action within 41 days of the campaign’s launch.
“Strong action has been taken against interstate smugglers and individuals who had become a major source of trouble,” he said.
Sinha further asserted that investigations into drug trafficking cases had revealed direct links between narcotics networks and terrorism.
“I have said this in my speeches as well — drugs and terrorism are two sides of the same coin in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
According to the Lieutenant Governor, investigations into forward and backward linkages of narcotics smuggling have uncovered evidence suggesting the involvement of “neighbouring countries” in deliberately fuelling the problem.
“The smuggling network is directly linked to terrorism. A large portion of this money ultimately reaches organisations involved in radicalisation, purchasing weapons and spreading terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and across the country,” he said.
Sinha said the government’s primary objective was to safeguard the younger generation from falling prey to drugs and radicalisation.
“If the youth of Jammu and Kashmir are ruined, how will they move forward? There appears to have been a well-planned conspiracy to destroy the youth itself,” he added.
The Lieutenant Governor reiterated that the administration remains committed to building a “new Jammu and Kashmir” and contributing towards the vision of a developed India through sustained action against narcotics and terror-linked networks.
