Drug abuse in India

  THE editorial “Drug abuse in India” (February 15) is really alarming. In every society, some people take some drugs, not because they have been medically advised to do so, but because they derive some pleasurable sensation from the drug. All the naturally occurring sedatives and narcotics were discovered thousands of years ago, before the dawn of civilisation. By the late stone age man was systematically poisoning himself. The presence of poppy heads in the kitchen of the Swiss lake dwellers shows how early in history man discovered the technique of self-transcendence through drugs. There were dope addicts long before there were farmers. So the question is whether the humanity at large will ever be able to dispense with artificial paradises seems very unlikely. Most people lead lives at the worst so painful, at the best so monotonous, poor and limited that the urge to escape, the longing to transcend themselves if only for a few moments is and has always been one of the principle appetites of the soul.

However, the worst part of the story is that drug abuse is increasing remarkably in India. A large number of studies have been carried out in northern states of our country and these have projected that tabacoo and alcohol are the most widely abused drugs. Next in frequency are the opioids and cannabinoids. Majority of the drug abusers belong to the student population with the prevalence in various universities ranging from 20-35 per cent.

I agree with your views that NGOs have not fought the war against drug abuse in a desired manner and your suggestion to introduce the principle of performance based funding is praiseworthy. However, students should be educated in school and colleges about the illeffects of drug abuse. This would help in decreasing the incidence of drug abuse.

The term “drug abuse” is unfortunate because it connotes social disapproval and may have different meanings to different people. One must also distinguish drug abuse from drug misuse e.g. taking 50mg of diazepam to heighten the effect of a daily dose of methadone is an abuse of diazepam. On the other hand taking the same excessive daily dose of the drug but only for its anxiolytic effect is misusing diazepam.

AJAY BAGGA
Hoshiarpur

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Hasten slowly

There seems to be a popular wave of peace and brotherhood gaining momentum in both India and Pakistan. I am sure, like me, most of the people of both the nations will like to congratulate our Prime Ministers for the fortitude and foresight to make the endeavour to ride this wave. We hope they are able to steer us into friendly territory. Understandably, those who had to migrate under those strife-torn times do not tire of talking nostalgically of the times and places they left far behind. Strangely, however, though interestingly, there are people even amongst my generation, who were born after Independence, and have just heard tales from their elders, read or at most seen pictures and paintings/sketches of the places our ancestors left behind, who feel strongly about our roots. All such people would love to be able to visit the places of their origin. Our elder generation, who actually migrated from there, deserve to be accorded priority rights/chance for at least one visit, as a goodwill gesture, in the International Year of the Aged.

However, rather sadly, Pakistan speaks with a forked tongue! Notwithstanding the amicable advances, it was hurtful and annoying to see that the Pakistan’s government failed to make any sincere effort to restrain the state-run television from fanning fire. With typical irresponsibility and insensitivity its rabidly anti-India propaganda continued to be on air on February 20 and 21 even as Mr Vajpayee and the peace-entourage were Pakistan’s state guests. Under such circumstances, one is forced to try and read between the lines, isn’t one?

There is a Spanish saying, which when translated means, “hasten slowly”! Euphoria and too much expectation can be disappointing. Let us show a little prudence and not fail to learn from the bitter, expensive and unforgiving lessons history has taught us. How can we afford to ignore the 1962 back-stabbing in the din of “Hindi Chini bhai bhai” so easily ?

VIVEK KHANNA
Panchkula

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Next step

The president of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), Mr Om Prakash Chautala, has been repeatedly stating these days that his party had extended “unconditional” support to the Atal Behari Vajpayee Government. I doubt if Mr Chautala can make such a claim. It is well-known that soon after the INLD announced the support, the BJP helped Mr Devi Lal become a member of the Rajya Sabha.

In any case, now that the INLD has withdrawn its support to the BJP-led government, Mr Devi Lal, too, should resign his seat. He has lost the moral right to retain the seat which he had won because of BJP’s support.

SURENDRA MIGLANI
Kaithal

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Baseless report

This refers to the January 19 report "SDM's order ignored". The allegations levelled by ex-LIC employees are totally false, baseless and mischievous, and contrary to the ground realities.

BALWINDER SINGH
Ladhoke (Moga)

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Historic journey

Prime Minister Vajpayee has created history by his bus journey to Lahore through the Wagah border, with the message for the Pakistani people, “Put aside the bitterness of the past. Together, let us make a new beginning”.

KOMAL SAINI
Kurukshetra

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Blood donation ignored

In celebration of the 76th birthday of a great son of the soil, Sardar Beant Singh, a blood donation camp was organised on February 19 by the Punjab Mahila Congress under the leadership of Mrs Gurkanwal Kaur at his samadhi in Sector 42 at Chandigarh. Many top Congress leaders — Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Mrs Jaswant Kaur (widow of Beant Singh), Mr Jagjit Singh, Mr Pawan Bansal, et al — participated. I also donated my blood along with several Mahila Congress workers. The function proved to be a great success. But it really pinched me when on February 20 I found this news missing in the columns of The Tribune.

URMILA GOYAL ‘MANDHALI’
Budhlada (Mansa)

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Patiala’s woes

It appears that Patiala city is no one’s child as no one bothers about its upkeep and development. Almost all the roads (bus stand, railway station, Lahori Gate, Sher-e-Punjab market, T.B. Hospital Road, Gurbax Colony etc) having large potholes are crying for repair since long but to no avail.

Interestingly the roads which were in good fettle have been re-carpeted, ignoring the needy ones. Heaps of garbage can be seen in every nook and corner. Traffic control is completely in a mess. Area from Sheranwala Gate to Sadar Bazar looks like a rehri bazar which is a major bottleneck in smooth flow of traffic. Traffic rules, in absence of strict checking, are hardly followed, particularly by the heavy vehicles. There is no restriction on entry of heavy vehicles in the city and every one is free to park his vehicle as per his convenience.

Children without driving licence are zooming on two and four wheelers. Autos packing the schoolchildren like sardine are violating traffic rules blatantly. The pollution department is in no hurry to control the pollution in the city which is evident from the fact that a number of autos running on diesel/kerosene and emitting a thick layer of black smoke are plying freely without fear of any check. Instead of tall claims by the Patiala administration for giving a facelift to Patiala city, something practically is required to be done to improve the city’s condition.”

RAMESH CHAUHAN
Patiala

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Shocking

Apropos of The Tribune report “Police officers to face action” (February 18), the Hamirpur episode enacted in the town’s Circuit House the other day reportedly by some middle-rung police officer is shocking — all the more so because it involves men of a disciplined force. How incredible, indeed!

On the basis of my interaction/ experience with some of the officers at the higher rungs of the department I venture to vouchsafe for the fact that the state police is manned by a bunch of fine officers — delightfully courteous and responsive. The gloomy incident comes to me as a painful surprise.

The matter must be thoroughly looked into and the departmental black sheep dealt with sternly. The evil must be nipped in the bud, as they say.

TARA CHAND
Ambota (Una)