J&K’s Drug-Free Campaign Continues

The 100-day ‘Drug-Free J&K campaign’ has concluded with impressive statistics: 2,581 traffickers arrested, 1,431 kg of narcotics seized, and over Rs 188.89 crore in assets confiscated. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has rightly called these achievements “significant progress” while cautioning that “our mission is far from complete”. This honesty is refreshing. Drug abuse is not a problem that can be solved in 100 days or 1,000 days. It is a deep-rooted social evil that feeds on unemployment, hopelessness, and the vulnerability of youth. The campaign’s real success will be measured not by the number of arrests made but by the number of lives saved and families restored. The administration’s focus on rehabilitation is particularly welcome. The proposed “Rehabilitation and Socio-Economic Reintegration Scheme for Drug Abuse Victims, 2026”, with its structured three-year cycle of medical care, education, employment, and relapse prevention, addresses the root cause rather than just the symptoms. Drug addicts are victims, not criminals—and treating them as such is the first step toward a lasting solution. Drug cartels and narco-terror networks are deeply entrenched, with deep financial and logistical resources. Arrests alone will not dismantle these empires; sustained intelligence, inter-agency coordination, and community vigilance are equally essential. The call to break the silence is perhaps the most important message. For too long, families have suffered in shame, communities have looked away, and addicts have been ostracised rather than supported. This campaign must transform from a government initiative into a mass movement—one where every citizen, every parent, every teacher, and every religious leader plays an active role. The LG’s words carry weight: “If you ruin others’ lives, the law will not spare your future either.” But the law alone cannot win this battle. Only when society collectively refuses to tolerate drug abuse will the cartels finally be defeated. The 100-day campaign has laid the foundation. Now begins the harder, longer work of building a drug-free, terror-free, and hope-filled Jammu and Kashmir.