The continuing drugs menace in Punjab
For decades, Punjab has been struggling to tackle drug trafficking. Its proximity to the heroin-producing Golden Crescent — Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran — makes it vulnerable to the problem. This is why the drugs menace is also a national security issue. Last August, as the Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria said, the State, which shares an International Border with Pakistan, has been facing challenges from the neighbouring country, which is fighting “a proxy war” by sending drugs and weapons to “create disturbance” in India. Apart from Punjab, Pakistan has also lately been sending drugs to the Jammu region.To make matters worse, the use of drones to smuggle narcotics has intensified the transnational challenge. While the Border Security Force (BSF) has been empowered to carry out sear...