Reformed addict becomes Gurdaspur police’s mascot in fight against drugs

Ravi Dhaliwal

Gurdaspur, December 27

Addiction is a monster which lives inside you, rips out your soul and mocks at your weaknesses. This is precisely what Jagjit Singh, 35, a resident of Mojuwal village in Kalanaur block tells youngsters who are hooked on to drugs. He is a reformed addict, who got rehabilitated in society following the efforts of senior police officers.

Gurdaspur police have decided to present him as their new poster boy in their endeavour to fight the drug menace.

More importantly, he is helping the cops nab his ‘old-pals’ who used to feed his drug habit.

Jagjit says that he started with a light dose but before he knew what had hit him, he was already trapped in the ‘chitta’ web. Frustrated, one fine day he decided to meet SSP Harish Dayama in the latter’s office.

It was in September when a fully intoxicated Jagjit, who could barely stand, entered Dayama’s office. He told the officer that he wanted to make a confession. The officer signalled everyone present in the room to leave. He gave Jagjit what he wanted the most, a chance to release his pent-up emotions.

Initially, he was incoherent. However, when egged on by the officer, his sentences slowly acquired clarity. And then truth came out, which ultimately set him free. Jagjit admitted how ‘chitta’ had devastated his life, his livelihood, his family’s name and his son’s future.

The SSP got in touch with Gurvinder Singh, who runs an NGO in Kalanaur.

This NGO paid for his treatment at a private rehabilitation centre. The hardest part for him was to curb his craving. A stint in the gym saw him reclaiming his strength and confidence.

Romesh Mahajan, project director of the Red-Cross De-addiction Centre, says, “Ninety per cent of the battle is won once an addict controls his craving, otherwise he will relapse.”

Like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), which is based on the concept of one alcoholic helping the other, the Gurdaspur police here are planning to start Narcotics Anonymous (NA) in this district. “We will make Jagjit the central character of the NA,” said an officer supervising his rehabilitation.