Punjab’s drug scourge needs policy, not slogans

Opinion Punjab's drug scourge needs policy, not slogans The larger test is for Punjab's political class: It needs to turn a recurring election promise into sustained policy.

Key points

• 3 min readSep 21, 2026 06: 15 AM IST First published on: Sep 21, 2026 at 06: 15 AM IST.
• The larger test is for Punjab's political class: It needs to turn a recurring election promise into sustained policy.
• Punjab's drug menace has outlived a dozen crackdowns and three governments.
• Geography has long been cited as one reason for the difficulty.
• Punjab has heard a number of promises of a drug-free state.

In practice, the larger test is for Punjab's political class: It needs to turn a recurring election promise into sustained policy.

Punjab's drug menace has outlived a dozen crackdowns and three governments. As it has before successive elections, to the centre of the state's politics, it returns now. On Friday, the BJP, which notes it will contest all 117 seats on its own, flagged off the first of four " Nasha Mukt Punjab " yatras under the slogan, " Bhajpa Da Naara, Nasha Mukauna Saara ". The party's president Nitin Nabin introduced the campaign. It will cover almost 4, 000 km before culminating in Jalandhar on September 30, where Union Home Minister Amit Shah is projected to address a rally. Meanwhile, the Congress has responded in kind. Its Punjab in-charge, Sachin Pilot, led a protest in Chandigarh over the death of labourer Gulzar Singh. This person had questioned state Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema regarding the availability of drugs and afterwards died by suicide. Last month, Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) leaders additionally produced drugs the centrepiece of their campaign at the Rakhar Puniya rally, promising a white paper on the scourge.

Geography has long been cited as one reason for the difficulty. The state lies at the edge of the Golden Crescent and shares a roughly 550-km border with Pakistan. But the trade has outgrown the border. Drones ferry consignments, other states have become relay points, and pharmaceutical drugs – cheaper, more accessible and harder to trace – have become an significant part of the trade. In practice, the AAP government's "Yudh Nasheyan Viruddh", introduced in March 2025, has produced arrests and seizure figures in abundance. But there's been no visible slowdown in the contraband flow. While plenty of young Punjabis leave the state in search of a future abroad, families are destroyed. The role of families in prevention and recovery is significant, but the state cannot abdicate its responsibility. It must dismantle the networks controlling the trade, prosecute those who finance and supply it, and ensure treatment and rehabilitation for those caught in addiction.

Punjab has heard a number of promises of a drug-free state. It does not need another slogan or another round of statistics. A serious response must go beyond arrests and seizures to examine the funds trails, supply routes and institutional failures that allow the trade to survive. The administration must additionally provide accessible treatment, sustained rehabilitation and opportunities for young individuals to rebuild their lives. As the 2027 election approaches, the persistence of the drug trade will put the AAP government's record under scrutiny. But the larger test is for Punjab's political class: It needs to turn a recurring election promise into sustained policy.

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In short, punjab's drug scourge needs policy, not slogans is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.