Seminars, debates, convocations and workshops, everything has been tried on ground to stop the spread of drug abuse in Kashmir but somehow it doesn’t seem to work.
A plethora of NGO’s and Trusts are working to tackle this menace while seeking help from the local socio-religious leaders. Preachers in Mosques and Temples alike deliver sermons specifically countering the growth of drug abuse in the society but still of no avail.
The very absence of a defined comprehensive modus operandi to fight this vicious social evil makes all our collective efforts null and void. Holding a facile seminar is obviously not going to rid off this problem.
The NGO’s and other related social organizations need to come in unison and devise a policy which will mainly cater to the opening up of counseling centers in every district. The immediate concern of these units should be to get in contact with the most vulnerable section of our society that gets easily involved in consuming these deadly drugs i.e Youth.
Most studies have proved that youngsters in their adolescence are more prone to get involved in such activities because of the physical and emotional changes they go through at this time of their lives.
While in Western nations there exist numerous counseling groups whose services are incorporated for easing the tensions felt by youngsters during this age, the society in Kashmir lacks the very modicum knowledge of this highly important emotional phase.
However, the issues like unemployment, political stability and family pressures also add to people getting more lured towards this slow death but everything can change if we as citizens and social activists are ready to give it a serious thought. To achieve results, mediocre tactics need to be divorced at once.
