It is surprising that at a time when being abreast with the latest happenings is a cornerstone for ensuring good governance, those running the Government in J&K seem to be unaware of one of the significant Acts enacted to contain the drug menace in the region.
In this regard, the recent statement made by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary regarding the prohibition of drugs in the region highlights a disturbing gap in the political leadership’s understanding of the issue at hand.
Reportedly, in response to a query regarding the demand of prohibition of liquor in J&K by three MLAs of different parties, the Dy CM has said that not only liquor, all drugs should also be prohibited in the Union Territory.
It is startling that a person holding such a responsible post in the government can say something greatly exposing his ignorance over the vital issue of substance abuse because his call for prohibition of narcotics drugs and psychotropic substances in the Union Territory has simply shown his lack of awareness over the issue as producing, possessing, carrying, selling, purchasing, storing or consuming etc of these narcotic drugs are illegal and punishable not only in Jammu and Kashmir but across the entire nation. It would have been much better that the second-in-command should have stuck only to the issue of liquor ban rather than dwelling into an issue which he is unaware of.
It is pertinent to mention that hardly a month has passed when the news of establishing four special courts in J&K made rounds in the media circles to exclusively deal with the cases registered under Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPSA) cases.
It was informed that the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs will shortly identify the districts in consultation with the High Court where these courts will function making it amply clear that drugs are prohibited in J&K without any ambiguity. It would have been much better if the DyCM has asked the concerned law enforcement agencies to ensure the implementation of prohibition of drugs in the UT rather than seeking the prohibition of the same.
All said and done, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, a pivotal piece of legislation, has long criminalized the production, distribution, and consumption of illicit drugs thus the political class in the UT especially the one belonging to Jammu region must engage more deeply with the intricacies of the issues they claim to address, ensuring that their actions are rooted in facts and an understanding of the law.
