Punjab Elections 2017: Cong, AAP pin down Badals on drugs issue ahead of polls

Opening a drug de-addiction centre for women and that too in the holy city of Amritsar, is something that is likely to cause a huge uproar. Not surprisingly, Opposition parties have gone after the SAD-BJP led government, which had inaugurated the centre in May last year, dubbing it “Punjab’s shame.” The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which has made its debut in Punjab in 2014 with four MPs scoffed at the idea.       

“Instead of opening schools and colleges for women, the government opened a drug-de-addiction centre for women,” lambasted AAP MP Bhagwant Mann, who continues to mock the state government over the issue in his election rallies.

Political analysts say the de-addiction centre had become a reality as the SAD-BJP government believed it had to be seen to be acting on the issue. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his partymen faced huge criticism after reports of alleged involvement of its Cabinet Minister Bikram Singh Majithia in the drug trade. 

A year later, the centre — The Hermitage Rehab — opened with a programme called ‘Women Integrated Treatment’ (WIT). This programme has treated as many as 50 women struggling with drug addiction. Punjab’s Health and Family Welfare, Principal Secretary, Vini Mahajan inaugurated the centre in May, 2016. Ironically, though the SAD-BJP government is now frantically trying to dismiss it as an attempt to “defame the state” and has distanced itself from the centre.

Whatever the situation, the centre is seen as a lifeline for women who are drug addicts, especially in Punjab. Till date, Punjab has not been able to accept that women, who constitute 47 per cent of the total electorate, could also fall prey to drugs abuse. Till then, they were only seen as victims of drug abuse, as mothers, sisters or wives of those who fell prey to drugs.

Dr JPS Bhatia, Director, The Hermitage Rehab, explains the severity of the problem, “They thought there are no women in Punjab who are addicted to drugs. It became an issue of honour and it created problems for the government. But, it’s a private centre and our ultimate aim was to take care of the people of Punjab.”

Talking about the profile of women addicts who came to him, Dr Bhatia adds, “As many as 80 per cent women who sought treatment come from rural areas, mostly in the age-group of 16-30 years, who got hooked on to drugs because of their partners. Addiction varies from marijuana, heroin to alcohol. At least 60 per cent of them are addicted to opiates.”

Drugs have been a major issue in previous elections in the state. Defeat of BJP senior leader Arun Jaitley in 2014 Lok Sabha elections against Congress’ Captain Amarinder was taken for people’s resentment against the Akali Dal, BJP’s alliance partner over the same problem. So, there is no surprise that political parties have made “drugs” the main poll plank in the run-up to the state polls.

As Punjab goes for polls on February 4, resentment against the drug problem will be a decisive factor. Both Congress and AAP have launched tirades against the ruling Akali Dal, promising to send the drug lords to jail soon after coming to power.