Former DGP announces three-phase programme to fight 'Narco Politics'

AMRITSAR: To save the youth from the perils of drugs, former director general of police (jail) Shashikant has chalked out a three-phase programme to fight 'narco politics' being allegedly run by politicians and influential security personnel in the state. While talking to TOI here on Tuesday, Shashikant candidly admitted that politicians and security officials encouraged drug smuggling; given the huge financial benefits reaped through illegal drug trade and till date, drug business was in the control of a few politicians.
However, he refrained from naming any politician who is allegedly involved in drug smuggling. Shashikant was in Amritsar to attend a function.
"The cross-border drug trade began during militancy in 80's. Terrorists used to buy weapons from drug money, as a result of which the trade came to be known as 'Narco Terrorism'. Politicians joined the trade and now I call the trade Narco Politics," he said.
Founder of Nasha Virdohi Manch, which has been launched to make Punjab a drug-free state, Shashikant stressed on the need of creating awareness against hazards of drugs and its long-term effect on society. Recalling an incident, he said, when he was DGP (prison) he had visited Kapurthala to address an issue where a jail inmate told him that one kilogram of heroin was traded in jails of Punjab every day. "There are 29 big prisons in the state. Let's assume 10 kilogram of heroin trade takes place in jails every day. It is worrisome," he said.
Perturbed over the system, he said that he had visited places including Tarn Taran, Ajnala, Gawalmandi, etc, where people told him about the prevalence of drug addiction. "I tried to talk to police officials but they didn't take my call," he said, adding that drug trade could be stopped only if the government was sincere enough to do so.
About his programme, he said that for a year, he would want to create awareness against drugs in the state which would be followed by non-cooperation, under which there would be boycott of political parties. The phase will continue for another 6 to 8 months and if there was no improvement then they would come out on the roads. "We have to save our younger generation from drugs, it is destroying their lives," he said, adding that he would want to make the issue of drugs the top agenda of every political party during elections.