Punjab’s Drug Stigma: Unpacking the Governance Failures Behind the Label

Publication Information

Journal Title: Indian Politics & Law Review
Author(s): Rattandeep Singh, Souvik Biswas, Gurleen Kaur, Ather Nazir & Palak Rao
Published On: 02/05/2025
Volume: 10
First Page: 1
Last Page: 19
ISSN: 2581-7086
Publisher: The Law Brigade Publisher

DOI: 10.55662/IPLR.2025.1001

Cite this Article

Rattandeep Singh, Souvik Biswas, Gurleen Kaur, Ather Nazir & Palak Rao, Punjab’s Drug Stigma: Unpacking the Governance Failures Behind the Label, Volume 10, Indian Politics & Law Review, 1-19, Published on 02/05/2025, 10.55662/IPLR.2025.1001 Available at https://iplr.thelawbrigade.com/article/punjabs-drug-stigma-unpacking-the-governance-failures-behind-the-label/

Abstract

Why is Punjab, the land of five rivers and legendary resilience, now synonymous with a crippling drug crisis, while other states with comparable or even higher substance abuse rates evade the same damning label? Forget the sensational and rhetoric headlines. Punjab’s drug crisis is not just a story of addicts and smugglers; it’s a damning expose of governance in decay. While the Golden Crescent’s heroin bleeds across the border, the real poison lies within: A system which is puzzled with unemployment, a judicial backlog and alleged conflict between those sworn to protect and those who profits from destruction. A systemic failure that has left Punjab’s youth adrift in a sea of unemployment and despair, prey to a nefarious network that stretches from traffickers to those in power. Despite multiple assurances like Health Minister Balbir Singh’s statement that “the government is determined to root out drug abuse from the state,” This paper shreds away the “drug capital” label, revealing it as a convenient scapegoat. By examining and understanding the historical aspect, the disproportionate focus of media and news, We argue that Punjab’s stigma is a consequence of leadership abandoning its people, leaving a generation to trade the strength of their heritage for the fleeting oblivion of a syringe.

 “Our government has launched a great war against drugs in Punjab. Drugs have ruined a large number of our youth and children. Those who sell drugs will not be spared. Drugs will be eradicated from Punjab forever.” – Arvind Kejriwal, Aam Aadmi Party National Convenor (March 2025)

Keywords: Punjab Drug Crisis, Governance Failure, Drug Stigma, Youth Unemployment, Golden Crescent.

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