Fill playgrounds, pick up bats, not drugs: SSP Sgr to youth

Abid Bashir
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10 May 2026

‘Will organise mega cricket, football tournaments in downtown’

Srinagar, May 09: Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Srinagar Dr G.V. Sundeep Chakravarthy on Saturday said the fight against drugs would be won not only through police crackdowns but by ensuring youngsters “fill playgrounds and libraries instead of falling into the drug trap”.

Addressing reporters after the final match of a cricket tournament organised by Srinagar Police under “Nasha Mukht Abhiyan”, the SSP said sports and education were emerging as the strongest counter to the growing narcotics menace in the Valley.

“Pick up school bags, books, cricket bats and footballs — not drugs,” Dr Chakravarthy said, as hundreds of youth and residents gathered for the tournament finale.

Congratulating the winners and runners-up, he said the large participation of young players reflected a “bright future for Srinagar’s youth” and demonstrated how sports could positively channelise energy and talent.

“The purpose of organising such tournaments is to send a message to our youth to stay away from drugs and negative activities and instead focus on sports, education and nation-building,” the police officer said.

In one of the clearest articulations yet of Srinagar Police’s evolving anti-drug outreach strategy, the SSP said police were simultaneously targeting narcotics networks while trying to reclaim public spaces through community participation and youth engagement.

“We are hitting the financial networks and the entire drug ecosystem. But this war cannot be won by the police alone. Community participation and intelligence sharing are essential,” he said.

Dr Chakravarthy said the response from the public had been encouraging, with residents from areas including Makkah Market turning up in large numbers to support the event and motivate young players.

“The fact that people from different localities came to encourage the youth shows society wants this change,” he observed.

The SSP revealed that Srinagar Police had organised multiple sports tournaments over the past year and would now expand the initiative further during the summer months, particularly in Downtown Srinagar.

“We are planning bigger cricket and football tournaments in Downtown areas next. The idea is to engage more youth and keep them connected to positive activities,” he said.

The remarks come at a time when the administration has intensified its 100-day anti-drug campaign across Jammu and Kashmir, with police and security agencies launching aggressive action against narcotics peddlers and their support networks.