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| For a change, Abdullahs go apolitical | | Discuss drug addiction, smartphone misuse at public, political meets | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, June 13: For a “change” former Chief Minister and National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah and this successor Omar Abdullah have started holding public and political meetings to discuss something apolitical -drug abuse and misuse of smartphones in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Abdullahs have largely blamed the “growing unemployment for the same” hinting that unemployment could be one of their agendas.
A day after Dr Farooq Abdullah, who is also the Member Parliament expressed concern over drug abuse at a public meeting in Kashmir, his son Omar chaired a political meeting at the party headquarters in Srinagar to discuss the same issue.
On June 13, Omar Abdullah chaired the provincial working committee meeting on the “alarming situation of rising drug addiction in J&K.”
The NC said, “According to IMHANS report, J&K is now ahead of every other State in terms of drug addicts per thousand people.”
Omar spoke at length about drug abuse and smartphone misuse and how his party could play a role to fight the menace.
Earlier on June 12 while addressing people in the Magam area of north Kashmir expressing concern over the huge rise in drug addiction cases among the youth, Dr Abdullah said, “Drug abuse in J&K is becoming a rampant phenomenon. It should be a point of concern for all of us.” “The first step towards stopping such incidents starts with contemplation by all of us. It goes without saying that the menace is an awful manifestation of widespread unemployment prevailing across J&K. It is time for the government to change the discourse about the drug addiction issue and start to view it as a disease rather than a law-and-order issue,” Dr Abdullah said.
"For years now, Kashmir is witnessing a new epidemic—drug addiction. This has spurred deep concern in Kashmiri society. The figures emanating from various government agencies also call the efforts of the government in curbing the rise of drug abuse to question. The survey carried out by various agencies reveals the severity of the problem. Merely working on reining in the narcotics mafia won't help win the war against the problem, unless the government makes a massive outreach to our youth, this war on drug abuse cannot be won,” he said.
The NC president said “Our youth are fighting insecurity, unemployment and democratic disenfranchisement all at the same time. There is a great need to infuse a sense of security in our youth. However, putting the entire job of fighting the problems on the shoulders of law enforcement agencies alone won't help. The battle against the menace has to be fought at multiple levels.”
Observers said NC wants to be active on some “apolitical issues for a while”.
“It’s for the first time in the recent past that NC held a meeting at Nawa e Subh to discuss drug addiction and misuse of smartphones in particular and this development carries a message in itself,” he said. |
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