Monday 15 February 2016

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Punjab, the land of Gurus...

                               

           
Whenever I meet and interact with foreigners and Indians living outside Punjab, in other parts of this country, my head hangs in shame while telling them that I am from the state of Punjab. The moment they come to know about my 'ethnicity', they start shooting their volley of questions about drugs and the reason why Punjab is so heavily into drugs?

 It is indeed lamentable that this holy land of Gurus has now become synonymous with drugs and its smuggling. Many of foreigners have stated that now Punjab is internationally come to be known as the drug capital of third world. Some time back officials of a particular country which has become a major drug route itself, claimed that was a growing opinion in a section of their government that Punjabis entering their country should not only be frisked allowing them only their birth suit but  also be kept under continuous watch. That they were also thinking  in terms of establishing a special task force for this purpose. They, however further stated that only problem coming their way was the substantial Punjabi population permanently settled in their country and their ever increasing role in the political dynamics.

It was really appalling to hear all this. I wanted to call it ‘racial discrimination’ but then stopped myself and ate my words. A small section of Punjabis living and visiting abroad have brought shame to the entire  race. I want to rise and oppose it all as ‘sham propaganda’ but then how to do it because while in service, i saw quite a few of these getting VIP treatment both by politicians and officials alike? I had and still see many of such like disgusting foreigners of Indian origin moving around duly 'piloted by siren blaring government gypsies and hordes gun men shamelessly brandishing their assault rifles. I had also seen a few of these shameless merchants of death being ferried in certain choppers. The billion dollar questions is, why the heck?' No one, just no one, showers these 'honours' for nothing.

                                               



Well, anyhow, we appear to have lost our moral right to call such condemnable acts of these foreign governments, an act of ‘racial discrimination’. Perhaps they are doing it 'rightly or wrongly' in their own so-called national interests, I do not know. I just do not know. 

Anyhow, coming back to subject, a large number of our own politicians of our own state of Punjab are themselves stated to be on drugs. I remember that some time back I had stated that politicians who intend to contest elections in Punjab, should be put to dope test, besides the Election Commission of India obtaining their sworn affidavits to the effect that they are 'clean'. It had led to  massive furors from a number of politicians, who however, could not do anything except sniggering at my proposal. But again a number of our politicians are stated to be on opium and in fact one of the top varieties of opium still stands named after the village of a particular politician. Some of our comparatively younger politicians are also alleged to be either on synthetic drugs or cocaine, most probably the cocaine. Often they are hyper active, living in their own virtual world.

                                          

'Perpetually High'


 This transition towards notoriety is scandalous and abhorring. Traditionally this distinction was reserved for parts of China, Burma and their neighbouring areas. Then, a few decades ago, this dubious distinction went to Afghanistan where immense amount of pure heroin is still being manufactured under the very nose of the elite international community. Pakistan plays an important and willing role in its onward 'trading' (read smuggling).

             


                                                         Painful Transition 
                      
  



A good chunk of opiates; heroine / smack; coming from Afghanistan through Pakistan, passed and still passes through Punjab, on its way to the world markets; the most important of them being the North American sub continent, still more specifically, United States of America. This ultimate destination is closely followed by a number of countries of  European Union,  United Kingdom and now even Australia, besides other ‘minor’ countries all over the world.

But as if it was not enough, Punjab has, unfortunately, come up quickly on the international market of synthetic drugs as well. Punjab is internationally also known as the major international synthetic drug export market. But why only in the international market, it is known to be so even nationally as well. From here substantial quantity of opiates and synthetic drugs are getting inundated in to remaining parts of India as well. Sizable chunks of these drugs are being used with in Punjab by various age groups, particularly the youth. It is a pity that none of the successive governments of Punjab have ever tried even to study this problem. No official figures are available. No scientific study has ever been undertaken for obvious reason, which is the complicity and involvement of the governments.

                                    
         
                                                        Major Drug Trafficking Routes


As indicated in this map, India is one of the major routes for international drug smuggling. Punjab remains the most important of routes for  smuggling of opiates that is heroin coming in from Pakistan. It is also one of the more important of places for the manufacture of synthetic drugs and its subsequent smuggling abroad and else where with in the country. Lower grades of heroin is being used by lesser mortals and the high grade, the grade four, and synthetics by the affluent sections. it is simple economics. and consequently it appears that most of the Punjab is ‘doing drugs’.              
         
                        

Doped Out

There are all sorts of figures on net stating that about 70 to 75% youth of  Punjab are into drugs. That about 60% school going kids have consumed drugs at one point of time or the other, but nothing official or totally credible. No government has ever bothered to study this problem and its magnitude through a meaningful study. Whatever surveys were done, hardly any of them had any satisfactory sample size. On account of this inflow as also indigenous production, Punjab majorly also controls the supply of drugs to the remaining parts of India. Almost an entire generation of Punjab is lost to the drugs.  There are hundreds of documentaries on the subject. Several thousands of articles have been published nationally and internationally, innumerable number of seminars have been organised, but of no avail. They all have consistently failed to wake up the people as such or the successive governments of the days that were or are; in their ‘induced slumber of power and greed’. These governments even refuse to peep out of their ivory towers made of wads of ‘Mahatma Gandhi’ of various denominations.this variety of Gandhi had done the damage.

And the million dollar question remains as to who all are fault...
...the God (people love to call it all ‘the will of god’. in Punjabi they use a particular phrase for all such situations. 'rabb da (p)bhanna manno, accept it as the will of god), 
...Governments both of the center and states, their official 'organs’ included; 
...slow moving and ‘evidence (which no one wants to give) oriented Judiciary; 
or 
...People themselves who do not want look beyond their ‘today’?
        

                   




2 comments:

  1. Carry on sir.... Good job. God Bless !!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Suren Singh Sahni16 February 2016 at 22:16

    Punjab di Pani amrit vargha.
    The Green Revolution destroyed Punjab before the drug menace by poisoning the water table and soil.Indians donot have creative minds to solve any problems they are seeking divinal guidance which will never materialize.

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