In Punjab, the highway to 2027
The drug menace in Punjab has stayed at the centre of political and social attention over the past decade or more. Political parties are hoping to capitalise on this, with the Assembly election due in early 2027, finds Vikas Vasudeva
Residents staging a protest in Mansa following the death of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, who was shot dead on October 13. With his last rites yet to be performed, protesters are demanding the resignation of the Chief Minister and the state Director General of Police, alleging the government’s failure to address the drug problem in Punjab.
On October 13, anti-drug crusader Parvinder Singh Jhota, 40, was shot dead in broad daylight in Punjab’s Mansa town. A fortnight later, his last rites had still not been held. A stretch of road in the town’s Tikoni area has become a protest ground from where giant hoardings declare the slain activist a martyr, urging people not to mourn his death but to protect his ideals and carry forward the fight against drugs. Punjab has been battling drug addiction for more than two decades.
A steady crowd, including the elderly and young people, women and men, continue to arrive at the pucca morcha (permanent sit-in protest) site, making their way past barricades and signboards. Traffic police have set up diversions, but the people’s resolve to stay for the long haul is clear.
Spotlight / India / Punjab / Drugs / narcotics & drug trafficking
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