Drug addiction, terrorism not separate challenges, but two faces of same problem: LG Sinha

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday highlighted that drug addiction and terrorism are not separate challenges, but two faces of the same problem and appealed to everyone to join the fight against the menace. The lieutenant governors 100-day Drug Free J-K campaign reached south Kashmirs Anantnag district on Saturday, as he led a foot march from Degree College in the Khanabal area to Nai Basati.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday highlighted that drug addiction and terrorism are not separate challenges, but two faces of the same problem and appealed to everyone to join the fight against the menace. The lieutenant governor's 100-day 'Drug Free J-K' campaign reached south Kashmir's Anantnag district on Saturday, as he led a foot march from Degree College in the Khanabal area to Nai Basati. Addressing a public gathering, Sinha said that in this war against drugs, administration and society must understand the link between drugs and terrorism, and everyone should join hands to defeat it. Apparently referring to Pakistan, Sinha said, ''Our neighbouring country is smuggling drugs into Jammu and Kashmir by design. The drug money has been used to build narco-palaces by drug smugglers, and a large portion of drug money is being used for terrorism and radicalisation,'' he said. Sinha said while drugs are ruining the future of the UT's youth on one hand, on the other, terror outfits are using that money to buy weapons, which are shedding the blood of our brothers and sisters in the region. Highlighting that this narco-terror network has inflicted suffering on generations of the UT for decades, Sinha said, ''Drug addiction and terrorism are not separate challenges, but they are two faces of the same problem.'' ''I promise all of you that we will not rest until we defeat it,'' he asserted. Appealing to the people to break the silence to win this war against drugs, he said, ''All sections of society must speak in one voice about the dangers of drug addiction.'' He said the challenge of drug addiction could be eradicated only through a ''whole of society approach''. ''From now on, every corner of the Union Territory, whether schools, colleges, families, sports grounds, wards, villages, or theatre stages, should give a voice to the cause with firm resolve,'' he added. Sinha called upon the police and civil administration to cover every panchayat of Anantnag, and especially reach out to vulnerable areas of the district in the next 71 days of the campaign. A decisive blow is being dealt to the drug smugglers' network in Anantnag district. Since 11th April, the highest number of 108 NDPS cases have been registered in the region, he said. Narco-palaces worth Rs 3.5 crore, built with the black money from drugs, have been reduced to dust. Authorities have seized 22 vehicles, cancelled eight driving licenses and vehicle registrations, and sealed 13 drug stores for violating the law, he added. Assuring the people of Anantnag that not a single smuggler will be left untouched, he said the entire machinery involved in the drug smuggling will be uprooted. The lieutenant governor also reiterated his commitment to ensure justice for every terror victim's family. The campaign began in Jammu on April 11 with a foot march led by the LG from the M A Stadium. Sinha had also led a similar foot march in Srinagar's Lal Chowk area on May 3. He later laid the foundation stone for various sports infrastructure development projects worth over Rs 20 crore in the district, and said these facilities will channel the youth's energy in the right direction.