Band of Ludhiana drug fighters beats back drug runners in 70 villages, reforms some

KOOM KALAN (LUDHIANA): With 30 people in 40 villages dying due drugs in a span of one-and-a-half years, a group of villagers decided to do something to arrest drug abuse.
The Nasha Virodhi Lok Sangharsh Committee, which shaped up in 2018, today actively creates awareness about drug abuse in more than 70 villages of the area including Sasrali, Raur, Mangli, Garhi, Hawas, Gaunsgarh, Mattewara, Dholanwal, Bhore, Saleempur, Kalewal, Gopalpur, Haidarnagar and Mand Chaunta and shares information about drug peddlers with the police to put them behind bars.
“It started in the beginning of 2018 when Buta Singh of our village who worked in the telephone exchange died of drugs. This prompted us to do something about this problem. We thought that if we cannot stop drug abuse, we have no purpose in life. On May 2, 2018, we held a meeting at Gurdwara Sahib in Chaunta village which was attended by 20-odd people from neighbouring villages. We decided to actively create an antidrug atmosphere in villages. We announced our initiative by holding a rally in Chaunta village but met with opposition from a group of women whose husbands were in the drug trade,” said Amarnath Singh, convener of the group.
Despite this, it was a good start. “The biggest takeaway of that event was that about 300 people from 70 villages attended the march. Buoyed by the response, we held anti-drug rallies in 70 neighbouring villages. In every village, residents, many of whom had suffered because of drugs, offered us food, cold drinks and tea. Apart from anti-drug rallies, the massive support we got from the villagers forced the authorities to register as many as 22 cases against a drug peddler. Many traffickers took a vow in gurdwaras to stop selling drugs.” He pointed out that their efforts and support of villagers had ensured that no drug-overdose death occurred here in over two months.
The group comprises many members whose children or relatives were drug-takers at one point of time. “My son would take drugs, so after I heard of this group I was motivated to join them to fight the evil and get my son out of it. Luckily, because of their help, my son is now living a healthy life. However, I continue to support the initiative as I want children of other fathers to give up drugs and live a clean life,” said Sikander Singh of Rattangarh village.
Taking the awareness drive a step forward, the group has got many of drug addicts admitted to de-addiction centres at Koom Kalan, Samrala and Ludhiana.
The group is also active on social media and keeps disseminating anti-drug awareness messages and other information to help people. “We have a WhatsApp group with members from various villages wherein we put antidrug messages and share vital information about drug peddlers. The inputs are also shared with the police so that they can nab the drug peddler,” said Sukhwinder Singh of Koom Kalan, who is member of the group. The group has created a database of drug peddlers operating in their area and shared it with senior police officers.