Mirwaiz seeks complete ban on liquor in J-K; calls for 'holistic response' to drug menace

Referring to the drug menace, the Mirwaiz said the crackdown on drug peddlers and narcotics networks in Jammu and Kashmir is a welcome initiative, and every sincere effort aimed at protecting the youth from the scourge of addiction -- one of the gravest challenges facing todays society -- is commendable.

Kashmir's chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday urged the Jammu and Kashmir government to reconsider its liquor policy and impose a complete ban on intoxicants in the Union territory. Calling for a holistic response to the drug menace, the Mirwaiz asserted that one form of addiction cannot be fought while another is promoted, saying that a meaningful strategy to protect the youth must address all forms of intoxication. Referring to the drug menace, the Mirwaiz said the crackdown on drug peddlers and narcotics networks in Jammu and Kashmir is a welcome initiative, and every sincere effort aimed at protecting the youth from the scourge of addiction -- one of the gravest challenges facing today's society -- is commendable. ''At the same time, one cannot ignore the fact that a generation raised among political conflict, uncertainty, stress and limited economic avenues is highly prone to substance abuse. This crisis cannot be seen only through the law and order prism and headline grabbing of arrests and property confiscation,'' the Mirwaiz said, addressing the Friday congregation at the Jamia Masjid here. He said while strict action against drug traffickers and dismantling their networks is necessary, ''policing alone cannot solve this health emergency, nor heal a wounded society''. The situation demands a holistic approach where the youth has assurance and opportunities that will rekindle hope and promise of a bright future, which in itself will deter them from drugs, he said. However, he said, society must also honestly acknowledge that addiction is not limited only to narcotic drugs and that alcohol too is an intoxicant and a dangerous social evil. ''Islam has always strongly prohibited intoxicants because of the damage they cause to both the individual and society. Kashmir has historically been a society rooted in spirituality, morality, and social values and therefore, while action against drugs is necessary and welcome, the increasing normalisation and availability of alcohol in society is equally concerning,'' he added. Claiming that official figures indicate that there were hundreds of licensed liquor vends across Jammu and Kashmir, the Mirwaiz questioned whether ''one form of addiction be fought while another is simultaneously expanded?'' Pointing out that many states, including Gujarat, Bihar and Nagaland, have implemented prohibition or strict restrictions on alcohol, he urged the Jammu and Kashmir government to seriously reconsider its alcohol policy, and impose a total ban on it. ''A meaningful strategy to protect the youth must address all forms of intoxicants together,'' he added. On the declaration of Jamia Siraj Ul Uloom in Shopian as an unlawful entity under the UAPA, Mirwaiz said it is a serious matter that stokes ''apprehension among people that our religious identity, and educational institutions being run by trusts and local committees are being targeted''. Referring to the protests by the students on Thursday, Mirwaiz said it shows the urgency and deep distress it is causing to them. ''Those at the helm should understand that if they are not seeing open resentment to such moves, it is because there is no space for people or leaders to express their disagreement and anguish with such policies. ''The undercurrent of resentment against these policies can consolidate if the state does not revisit this approach and allow the reopening of this institution and such others, letting them function as educational institutions,'' he said. He urged the government to reconsider this approach and earn people's trust and goodwill rather than ''alienate them by such distressing measures''.