Campaigns like Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan signal intent. But on one hand, there is a call for a drug-free Kashmir. On the other, the opening of wine shops sends mixed signals. Mixed signals can erode trust and weaken the very campaigns they aim to support.
Shabir Ahmad Ganaie
The recent push by the Jammu & Kashmir Lieutenant Governor to intensify efforts against substance abuse is a necessary and welcome step. Campaigns like Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan signal intent and direction. However, intent alone is not enough. For such initiatives to succeed, policy must speak in one clear voice—and that clarity is currently missing.
On one hand, there is a call for a drug-free Kashmir. On the other hand, the opening of wine shops in the Valley raises a fundamental question about consistency. Whether justified on economic or regulatory grounds, such decisions risk sending mixed signals. In matters of public health and social behaviour, mixed signals can erode trust and weaken the very campaigns they aim to support.
Yet the challenge runs far deeper than policy contradiction.
Kashmir today is confronting a serious unemployment crisis. Each year, thousands of educated young people enter a job market that offers limited opportunities. Government employment remains scarce, private sector growth is uneven, and repeated recruitment delays—including recruitment scams and paper leaks—have significantly damaged institutional credibility. For many young people, the gap between promise and reality has become a source of quiet but persistent frustration.
This frustration is not just an economic concern—it has social and psychological consequences.
Substance abuse in the Valley has grown into a serious public health issue. Estimates suggest that nearly 70,000 individuals are affected, with heroin accounting for a large share of cases. More worrying is the age of initiation, often in the early twenties—a phase that should otherwise be defined by education, ambition, and opportunity. Data trends from the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS) Kashmir indicate a steady rise in young patients seeking treatment, with districts such as Srinagar, Anantnag, and Baramulla particularly affected.
Behind these numbers are stories of distress that often go unnoticed. Idle time, uncertainty about the future, and financial stress create conditions in which vulnerability deepens. In the absence of accessible mental health support, many young individuals drift toward substance use as a coping mechanism. The result is a widening crisis that now includes rising cases of depression and anxiety and, among injecting drug users, increased risks of HIV and Hepatitis C.
At the same time, the supply side of the problem has become more sophisticated. Drugs such as heroin and pharmaceutical opioids are no longer confined to isolated networks—they are reaching neighbourhoods with alarming ease. Small, decentralised peddling systems operate discreetly, often using digital platforms for coordination. Kashmir’s geographic proximity to regions linked with cross-border trafficking further complicates enforcement efforts. While seizures have increased, long-term disruption of supply chains remains a challenge.
Equally concerning is the state of rehabilitation.
De-addiction and mental health services are limited and unevenly distributed. Rural areas face significant access gaps, and many existing facilities struggle with shortages of trained professionals and structured follow-up care. Without sustained rehabilitation support, relapse becomes common. Social stigma further delays treatment, forcing families into silence. Female addiction, in particular, remains largely hidden due to the lack of gender-sensitive facilities and outreach.
If the vision of a drug-free Kashmir is to be taken seriously, the response must move beyond campaigns and address root causes through coordinated action.
Families must remain vigilant to early warning signs—sudden behavioural changes, withdrawal, and unexplained expenses—and seek timely help without fear of stigma. Communities need to build local awareness and support systems that encourage rehabilitation rather than isolation. Religious and community institutions can play a constructive role by using their platforms to spread awareness and offer safe spaces for guidance and counselling.
Educational institutions, too, have a critical responsibility. Drug awareness must be integrated into curricula from an early stage, alongside teacher training to identify at-risk students. Equally important is the expansion of career guidance and skill-based programs that give young people a sense of direction and purpose.
For the government, the priority must be structural. This includes expanding mental health and de-addiction services across districts, ensuring transparent and time-bound recruitment processes, and creating district-level job strategies with measurable outcomes. Publicising helplines and strengthening cyber monitoring of drug networks are also essential steps.
Law enforcement agencies, particularly the Jammu and Kashmir Police, must continue to shift focus toward dismantling supply chains rather than merely penalising users. Specialised units to track digital drug networks and stronger coordination with health and community systems can significantly improve outcomes.
Anti-drug efforts cannot succeed as standalone campaigns. They must be supported by consistent policy, credible governance, and meaningful economic opportunity.
Kashmir does not lack talent or resilience. What it lacks, at present, is a system that fully supports and channels that potential. Addressing unemployment, strengthening institutions, and ensuring policy coherence will not just reduce vulnerability to substance abuse—they will also restore confidence among the youth.
A drug-free Kashmir will not be achieved through slogans alone. It will be built through clarity, accountability, and opportunity.
The writer is a researcher in South Asian history, specialising in socio-political dynamics, minority experiences, and marginalised voices. His work critically examines contested narratives and seeks to highlight overlooked perspectives within the region’s historical discourse.
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