Himachal Pradesh CID launches campaign seeking suggestions from youth to wipe out drug menace from the state

Himachal Pradesh Police's Crime Investigation Department (CID) on Saturday launched a campaign to shun drugs from society.

The state's Minister for Education Rohit Thakur started the campaign called PRADHAV (Wipe-Out) from Police headquarters in Shimla with the objective to rope in the youth of the state for the development of strategies for the eradication of drugs and narcotics from Himachal Pradesh.

This campaign is focused on finding efficient and modern solutions to the rising problem of drug trafficking, drug abuse and the increasing number of youngsters getting attracted towards drugs precisely focusing towards synthetic drugs like heroin in the region.

About 60 young boys and girls participated in the brainstorming session here to give their suggestions. The written recommendations were also submitted by these youth here. During the event, a special recorded message by the Tibetan Spiritual leader the 14th Dalai Lama to shun the menace of drugs was also played.

Following the event, a district and range-level event is also planned for May 10th and 24th respectively later this year, whereas a grand event associated with the campaign is scheduled for June 26th at Shimla on the occasion of 'International day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking".

Satwant Atwal, ADG CID and an organizer of the campaign said, "The objective is to eradicate the drugs from Devbhumi, As you heard youth saying that people outside Himachal take them as they must have tried drugs and or they must be peddlers. This Devbhoomi is known for rejuvenation place of peace and harmony and you get connected to nature. As far as the data is concerned we are number two in the country when it comes to drug addiction."

Detailing the roadmap of the event further he added, "For this campaign, we have incorporated youth and technology, Youth is our treasure; we want to use this as a force multiplier to the households. To get suggestions from youth, to fine-tune to end the drugs in the state we are trying to find out the problems and that problems would be thrown open to children and it would be available online for them if someone who is involved in drugs and wants to come forward they will be able to send it from their households. The Parameters would be drawn for problem statements and complete problem statements and they would be encouraged and it would be brought under competition at a tough level and the solution online."

The campaign will also felicitate the participants with lucrative cash prizes Atwal added, "The selected and final statement of either an individual or a group of youth will be awarded a cash price of 1.5 Lakh rupees and that would be incorporated in policy matters. Today 60 youth participated in the brainstorming and a jury consisting of eminent members of the society moderated the brainstorming session."

The ADG CID said that the issue is very serious and all will have to come together to fight against the menace of drugs.

"When I was holding charge of prisons I received a call from a mother in one of the districts of our state saying please arrest my son or I will kill him as he has sold everything for drugs. You can imagine the seriousness of the problem; there are youngsters who have promising careers and promising academics. They have lost it due to drug addiction. We wanted to give a name for this campaign which will have a forceful effect. So we decided and took it from our culture and called it 'Pradhav' which means to Wipe-out the drug from the state. Apart from the stakeholders and policymakers the solutions and suggestions of youth are essential for us. We want to end this problem, we will fight against drugs and wipe it out," Atwal further added.

The event included the participation of students from major colleges and universities of the state including students from IIT Mandi, IIM Sirmaur, Shoolini University, Chitkara University, National Law University, Govt. Degree College, Sanjauli, RKMV College, Kotshera College, St. Bede's College, HPU Department of Sociology, Psychology and Law. The students are keen and want to work collectively to end this menace.

Diksha Bashisht, a student participant, on the occasion said, "The perception needs to be changed, we are the responsible citizens of a country and we are the future of nations. After these conferences, the solutions and proposals will help to form solutions to end this menace from society. I want to tell you that now it has become a perception that if someone coming from the outstate or a visitor or friend coming from South India asks us if you have tried drugs, you must have tried or do you know some paddler, this perception needs to be ended. The rap culture and some media programmes are helping to promote drugs. We want to raise our voices against the drug menace. I have seen we have tobacco-free areas and zones in our university campus but at the same time we have a shopkeeper selling tobacco freely in the same zone, this needs to be ended."

The Education Minister of the Himachal Pradesh government, Rohit Thakur on the issue said that it was a serious matter of concern for the state as the menace of drugs has increased drastically in the recent past. Marking that the mass movement against this is the need of the hour.

"The police department has taken this good initiative, and within a week we shall conduct a meeting with officials of the education department in collaboration with the police. We shall Chalk out strategies to curb the supply chain in and around the institutions including colleges and Universities. It is abuse as the main target is the young students in these institutions. There is a need for Mass movement against it and we all collectively can do it. I would also request the Chief Minister to hold a state-level meeting on this soon. We shall also try to make this a policy matter to eradicate the menace of drugs," Thakur said.

The Director General of Himachal Pradesh police who was also present at the occasion said that the menace in the country is increasing each year and the consumption of heroin is one Ton per day. He said the number of drug addicts in Himachal Pradesh is Number two in the country after Punjab.

"If you see the data of 2009 in India the drug addicts were One Crore in 2019 it was increased to 7 Crore and at the national level by 2029 it would be around 21 Crore expected to increase three times. There is a consumption of 1000 kg in India is one Ton, out of the total 5% seizure is done and a total of 81% drugs comes to India through sea route and remaining comes through Pak border or through the drone," said DGP Sanjay Kundu in his address.

"As per the Crime data Punjab has the highest number of drug addicts in the country which is 0.32 % per Lakh of the population while Himachal Pradesh has 0.24% Per Lakh population and it has a loss of generation, we will have to save the nation," DGP Kundu further added.

( With inputs from ANI )