The Root Cause of Punjab's Drug Crisis: State-Backed Networks and the Path to a Solution

Punjab occupies a crucial geostrategic position in South Asia. Given the long-unresolved political issues and unaddressed Sikh political aspirations, the Indian state frequently views the region through a security lens. For the past three decades, drug abuse has been a devastating challenge for Punjabi society. Despite multiple changes in leadership, successive governments have failed to curb the epidemic. Following the recent killing of anti-drug activist and task force leader Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa, the crisis has once again taken center stage. With elections approaching, political parties are eagerly highlighting the issue, despite their own past failures to solve it. In this conversation with Parmjeet Singh Gazi, Panth Sewak Bhai Daljit Singh discusses the underlying causes of the drug epidemic, how the drug trade was controlled during the era of the Sikh struggle, allegations of its state-sponsored reintroduction, and how the people of Punjab can unite to find a lasting solution. #BhaiDaljitSinghBittu #ParmjeetSinghGazi #ParvinderSinghJhota #Punjab