DRUGS ARE ENEMIES OF AMBITION & HOPE – WHEN WE FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS, WE ARE FIGHTING FOR THE FUTURE
Drug abuse makes a huge dent in the potential of a developing society is no new secret. There have been cases of countries led by drug mafias driven into the vicious chaos, thanks to the menace. Today there is more awareness of the problems of illicit drugs and its trafficking than ever before. However, translating this awareness into constructive action plan is a major challenge. One such silent campaign is being executed by the Civil Administration duly supported by Indian Army at the remote Tehsil of Karnah, in Kupwara District of J&K(UT).
The story of Karnah’s nasty love affair with drugs originated from the nefarious designs of Pakistani. With the curve of insurgency waning in Kashmir post India’s Kargil Victory and exposing of Pakistani nuclear bluff in 2002, a felt need for bleeding India through non-kinetic means arose in the planning quarters of its western neighbour. Free flow of drugs in the Afghan-Pak corridors is a historic reality. US pressure on Pak to cut down on overt terror financing post 9/11, made drug trafficking the new cash cow for the terror financers. Investment to radicalise the youth in the previous two decades enabled ready availability of sleeper cells to spread this new means of breaking Kashmiri Socio-Cultural fabric which had already grown fragile due to the decade old terrorism. This sowed the seeds for a growing nexus between drug traffickers and terror financers in the border areas along the porous line of control in Neelum valley, Hattian Bala, Bagh, Haveli, Poonch & Kotli. With no love for the natives of PoK, Pak commenced its investment by increasing the flow of free money into the newly created drug trafficking nodes and making overnight millionaires, the new role models for the youth here. These drug nodes took no time in rubbing their shoulders and culture across the line of control. Most affected locations were those, where people shared historic blood ties with relatives across the line. The arrival of social media in the current decade further made it an easy go for spread of the menace. One such location is Karnah Tehsil also referred to as Tangdhar, which served as a readily available drug trafficking route owing to its treacherous terrain and remote location making it a difficult reach for the supervision of government law and order agencies. Civil administration’s proactive stance supported by the Indian Army started in the later half of the current decade as the magnitude of the menace became clearer. A two pronged approach was adopted to overcome the challenge – A velvet glove to wean the youth away from the menace through awareness campaigns, and an iron fist to clamp down on the OGWs involved in those rackets. 2020 alone has witnessed an over 70
KG Narcotics haul in Tangdhar over the last 12 months. However, the patterns that emerge here and type of people involved in promoting this disaster gives no relief. Reputed people including government enlisted contractor & headmaster of government school have been caught this year carrying huge Narco consignments and attempting to push their way through their clout. Of all the places, Sadhna pass makes it a Compulsory way-point for people attempting to carry drugs by the virtue of its location. Consignments in pelleted form concealed in Walnut and Rajma baggages, packets hidden beneath the dresses of women, packages hidden in vehicles carrying patients are some distressing patterns that has made the job of the policeman, the Rifle woman & her male counterpart at Sadhna pass a non-enviable one. Posted at over 10000 Feet, they brave the dipping mercury 24×7, to execute the task of foiling smuggling as also saving lives in times of road accidents and Avlanche driven disasters. Off late, the drug mafia has been working over-time to bring down their media clout for creating alternative check points to Sadhna top which can assist them in created alternate routes to smuggle consignments. Coming in of Rifle women at Sadhna pass to share the burden of the policeman and Soldiers this season, has further aggravated the situation for the drug dealers who can no more bank on their female accomplices. With gender sensitivity taken care of, Tangdhar has been transformed from a drug haven a decade ago to a No-Go for the traffickers today. The entire situation was summarised by an elderly commuter patiently waiting at Sadhna Top today for his turn to be frisked ”Hum dho ke jagah chaar ghante rukne ke liye taiyaar hain. Agar yeh nahi hote (pointing at the sentry standing gaurd), toh humaare bachay iss masle mein padke barbaad ho jaate”. An entire generation of youth stands at the tipping point of a disaster which is being prevented by the administration at Tangdhar. The sagging eyes of Kashmiri youth on either sides of the Line of Control stands testimony to this rarely known story of J&K. Will ‘Udta Kashmir’ become the new reality is a question for time, law & order agencies to answer.
