Page 12 - The Indian EYE 091622

OPINION SEPTEMBER 16, 2022 | The Indian Eye 12

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha reviews the security situation along The security forces have been catching drugs consignment regularly in
the border during a visit to forward areas of Poonch (ANI Photo/Office of LG J&K Twitter) various parts of the state

hubs connecting South Asia with Furthermore, rehabilitation fa-
South East Asia. The drug trade cilities in 10 out of 14 districts have
has blossomed, due to weak institu- been established under the Nation-
tional apparatus in these neighbour- al Action Plan for Drug Demand
ing countries, aided and abetted by Reduction.
state-sponsored actors. Lieutenant Governor Manoj
Pakistan’s efforts to undermine Sinha, launching the Nasha Mukt
normalcy in J&K, particularly after Jammu and Kashmir campaign
the August 2019 constitutional re- on 1 September 2022, lauded the
forms, is rooted in its decades-long ‘zero tolerance’ policy of the state
proxy war against India. police and anti-narcotics task force
Former Prime Minister Nawaz and pointed to the seizures of large
Sharif admitted to using narcotics to number of drugs in recent months
finance anti-India proscribed organi- as indicative of the effectiveness of
zations, during an interview by The the policy.
Washington Post in September 1994. Continued strong vigil by the
Regardless of the frequent change Terror groups like LeT continue to pose threat to the region state and central security forces
of guards, little appears to have and agencies is essential to elim-
changed since then. inate nexus between inter-state
Narco-terrorism could be a key on narcotics, primarily heroin. Apart ism. Rehabilitation programmes, for criminals and Pakistan-sponsored
facilitator of Pakistan’s strategy to from national security implications, example, like those underway at the terror modules.
undermine efforts to establish peace this indicates a health epidemic. The Drug De-Addiction and Treatment
in the valley. Terrorists are also re- surge in the proportion of people in- Centre at the Shri Maharaja Hari Saman Ayesha Kidwai is
portedly using drug money to fund dulging in drug abuse has inevitable Singh Hospital in Srinagar, must be Research Analyst at Manohar Parrikar
misinformation campaigns. ramifications for the state youth’s in- duplicated across the valley, espe- Institute for Defense Studies and
LeT’s front organizations like tegration into the polity. The more cially so in rural areas. Avenues must Analyses, New Delhi.
The Resistance Front (TRF) have people fall into this trap, the more be provided for addicted persons to Views expressed are of the author and
propped up in the Valley and target- they will be unable to assimilate into seek counselling, and help in reinte- do not necessarily reflect the views of
ed killings of migrant labourers and the workforce and contribute to the gration into mainstream society. the Manohar Parrikar IDSA or of the
members of minority communities economy. In March 2021, Rs 10 crores Government of India.
like Sikhs and Kashmiri Pandits, While security forces have effec- was allocated for drug rehabilitation
have also surged in recent times. Or- tively clamped down on terrorist ac- measures as part of J&K’s annual This is the abridged version of the
ganizations like the TRF are at the tivities in J&K, it is equally essential budget. To counter the drug menace, Introduction of the book which
forefront of misinformation cam- to strengthen soft-power capacities the J&K government has also set up appeared first in the Comment
paigns to ‘secularize’ militancy in the to curb and gradually eliminate grow- counselling centers across all dis- section of the website (www.idsa.in) of
valley. ing substance abuse across the state. tricts, and seminars have been con- Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defense
Reports note that over 52,000 This is because the drug trade has di- ducted to spread awareness about Studies and Analyses, New Delhi on
individuals have become dependent rect links in the fight against terror- this challenge. September 12, 2022

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