Terms narco-terrorism gravest assault on J&K’s social fabric
- Narco palaces being reduced to dust
- No refuge for drug traffickers in J&K
- 950 smugglers arrested in 45 days
- 7,000 women’s committees formed
- Society stands united against narco-terror
- Every sleeper network under watch
- J&K to be freed from drugs, terror
Shafat Malik
Bandipora, May 25: Declaring narcotics and narco-terrorism as the “gravest assault” on the social fabric of Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday said the administration’s anti-drug campaign would ultimately be measured not by the number of arrests, but by the number of young lives reclaimed from addiction.
Addressing a massive gathering at SK Stadium here during a padyatra against drugs and narco-terrorism, Sinha said the administration had launched an unprecedented campaign to “erase the toxic gas poisoning the soil of Jammu and Kashmir”, adding that the movement had evolved into a people’s mission cutting across political, social and religious lines.
“We will not merely count FIRs or arrests. Our real success will be counted in the youth who return to life, in the families that are rebuilt, and in the hope restored across society,” he said, drawing prolonged applause from the gathering comprising students, civil society members, religious scholars, traders, women’s groups and youth organisations.
Despite inclement weather conditions, thousands attended the event, with the LG opening his address by thanking people who, he said, travelled from different areas despite repeated warnings about bad weather. “I was receiving calls from people asking whether the programme would continue because of the weather. Yet, the overwhelming participation today shows that Jammu and Kashmir has risen with a collective resolve,” he said.
Framing narcotics not merely as a law-and-order issue but as a form of “narco-terrorism,” the Lieutenant Governor said the drug trade was directly linked to the destruction of families, the exploitation of youth and the strengthening of networks working against peace in Jammu and Kashmir.
“This is not just drug trafficking. This is narco-terrorism. It destroys homes, snatches fathers from children, devastates mothers and sisters, and pushes society into darkness,” he said.
In one of the sharpest assertions of the campaign so far, Sinha said the administration had begun dismantling what he described as “narco palaces” built from the proceeds of drug trafficking. “Those earning wealth by destroying the lives of our youth will not be allowed safe shelter in Jammu and Kashmir. The work of reducing these narco empires to dust has begun,” he said.
Detailing the administration’s crackdown over the past 45 days, the LG said more than 860 FIRs had been registered and over 950 drug smugglers and peddlers arrested, including 59 detained under the PIT-NDPS Act. He said the campaign had moved beyond conventional policing, with authorities now targeting the financial and social infrastructure sustaining the drug trade.
The Lieutenant Governor said action has been initiated against properties and black money generated through narcotics, while more than 457 driving licences have been suspended. Recommendations have also been made for the cancellation of 116 passports and the registration of 606 vehicles allegedly linked to drug smuggling networks.
“Our agencies, particularly Jammu and Kashmir Police, are tracking every active agent, every sleeper cell, every smuggler attempting to poison society,” he said.
Sinha also highlighted what he described as a “societal mobilisation” against drugs, stating that over 7,000 women’s committees and nearly 3,000 youth clubs had been constituted across Jammu and Kashmir to assist in awareness, rehabilitation and surveillance efforts.
“For the first time in many years, Jammu and Kashmir is standing united for a shared mission,” he said. “Whether it is the police, administration, teachers, religious leaders, lawyers, traders, mothers or students, everyone has joined hands.”
Calling upon families and communities to actively participate in the anti-drug movement, the LG said the government alone could not win the battle.
“Law enforcement alone cannot end this menace. We need mothers, fathers, teachers, religious leaders and every responsible citizen to stand guard over society,” he said.
Reiterating his administration’s resolve, LG Sinha said the campaign against narcotics would continue with full force until Jammu and Kashmir was “completely freed from narco-terrorism and terror networks”.
“We dream of a Jammu and Kashmir where no child lives under the shadow of drugs, where no family is broken because of addiction, and where the youth move forward with dignity, security and hope,” he said. “As long as people stand united, no narco-cartel and no terrorist network can defeat Jammu and Kashmir.”