Jammu, April 24 : Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday launched the ‘drug-free J&K campaign’ in Reasi district, calling upon authorities to conduct security checks around schools, colleges and other vulnerable areas. He warned that those involved in drug trafficking would face stringent legal action.
Calling for a united response, the lieutenant governor urged communities, institutions, and individuals to join hands against drug abuse, which he said is eroding the very foundations of society.
Highlighting the progress of the campaign, he said a strong collective force has emerged across the Union Territory over the past 12 days, with people showing firm resolve to make Jammu and Kashmir free from narcotics.
“I want to make it absolutely clear that those who engage in the grave crime of poisoning the future of our youth through drug trafficking will face the harshest consequences under the law,” he said.
Sinha said that drug traffickers and terrorists often operate in tandem and asserted that they must be treated as allies in crime.
“Our response should be decisive, thorough, and unyielding. Every route drug smugglers exploit should be monitored, every financial chain dismantled, and every asset stripped away until their networks are completely destroyed,” he added.
Referring to the long-standing challenge of drug abuse in the region, Sinha said the campaign aims to break the silence surrounding the issue and mobilise society against the scourge.
“Drugs are a wound in the heart of our society. To heal this wound, we require a people’s movement that mobilises the full strength of society to eradicate drugs at their roots,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor also called upon NGOs, social workers, spiritual leaders, and educators to actively participate in the campaign across urban and rural areas.
“Social organisations, spiritual leaders, and educators are the frontline guardians of this mission. Through their leadership, hope can be rekindled, and society renewed. The full strength of the government and the community stands beside them,” he added.
Sinha also announced that 1,947 women’s committees have been established across the Jammu division since the campaign began on April 11, primarily aimed at combatting drug abuse and strengthening community-level monitoring.
“1,947 women committees have been established across districts in the Jammu division since the beginning of the campaign on 11th April, and with the support of mothers and sisters, this cancer of drug menace in society will be cured,” he said while addressing the gathering here.
Sinha said that the active participation of women, particularly mothers and sisters, would play a decisive role in eradicating the menace of drug abuse from society.
“We must build a historic movement, one that rises from homes, schools, mohallas, and communities; a movement that begins with open, honest dialogue in towns and villages. Mothers and sisters are the moral bedrock of our society and with their help we can win this battle,” he said.
