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Guest Column| Punjab’s last defence against drugs is the motherLaw enforcement and political rhetoric are failing our youth; only a domestic revolution led by mothers can dismantle the social roots of addiction. Published on: May 12, 2026 4:38 PM IST By Khushwant Singh Share via Copy link The
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Guest Column| Punjab’s last defence against drugs is the mother
Guest Column| Punjab’s last defence against drugs is the mother
Guest Column| Punjab’s last defence against drugs is the mother
Law enforcement and political rhetoric are failing our youth; only a domestic revolution led by mothers can dismantle the social roots of addiction.
Published on: May 12, 2026 4:38 PM IST By Khushwant Singh Share via Copy link The argument that social and economic factors outweigh the mere availability of substances—a point raised by psychiatrist Anirudh Kala in his book, Most of What You Know About Addiction Is Wrong—vindicates the rationale behind the Mothers Against Drugs campaign. By making mothers the flag-bearers of this resistance, the Punjab Lit Foundation is tapping into a potent force of social change. At present, Punjab is hyper-fixated on law enforcement as the primary solution to the drug pandemic. While the government boasts of arrest figures, the opposition clamours for an unattainable utopia. Both perspectives are skewed; a drug-free society isn’t born in a vacuum of arrests, but through a balance of enforcement, education, and robust value systems. Most importantly, it requires an anti-drug narrative fuelled by a genuine people’s movement. By making mothers the flag-bearers of this resistance, the Punjab Lit Foundation is tapping into a potent force of social change. For those clinging to patriarchal norms, one need only look at the Meira Paibi movement in Manipur, where women successfully protected their neighbourhoods from alcoholism and abuse. The power of mothers against drugs, therefore, cannot be underestimated. The challenge lies in scaling this campaign into a full-blown revolution. Institutional wall However, standing in the way of this transformation are Punjab’s own institutions, its often mediocre political thought, an insensitive and over-ambitious corporate class, and a laggard bureaucracy which too often only sees which side the wind is blowing, remaining confused between the various power structures currently at work. My experience with the campaign over the past two years has been a mixed bag. We have sensitised over 7,000 mothers, yet that number should be vastly higher. We reached this milestone only through persistent persuasion of schools and administrators. It is disheartening to report that many private schools ghosted us, fearing that discussing drugs would damage their brand. They are living in dangerous denial, while vape culture becomes a staple in student backpacks. Simultaneously, government schools remain largely inaccessible without a top-down mandate from the system. Myths of social media Amid this struggle, I salute the visionaries—particularly the several women deputy commissioners in Punjab—who have recognised the merit of this movement. Their clarity stands in stark contrast to the absurdity of certain political leaders advocating for opium cultivation. Social media is currently awash with this low-calibre discourse. It is shameful to see YouTube journalists platforming such foolishness for clicks. While we struggle to build a narrative against addiction, a dangerous counter-narrative is emerging, framing drugs as a wellness tool. The hard truth Mothers reading this must accept a hard truth: No system is coming to save your children. You must empower yourselves with the awareness and tools necessary to protect them from this scourge. Punjab has perhaps never needed its mothers more than it does today. Khushwant Singh. (File photo) singhkhushwant@hotmail.com Khushwant Singh is an author and former state information commissioner, Punjab. Views expressed are personal. Home/Cities/Chandigarh News/Guest Column| Punjab’s Last Defence Against Drugs Is The MotherThe argument that social and economic factors outweigh the mere availability of substances—a point raised by psychiatrist Anirudh Kala in his book, Most of What You Know About Addiction Is Wrong—vindicates the rationale behind the Mothers Against Drugs campaign.
At present, Punjab is hyper-fixated on law enforcement as the primary solution to the drug pandemic. While the government boasts of arrest figures, the opposition clamours for an unattainable utopia. Both perspectives are skewed; a drug-free society isn’t born in a vacuum of arrests, but through a balance of enforcement, education, and robust value systems. Most importantly, it requires an anti-drug narrative fuelled by a genuine people’s movement.
By making mothers the flag-bearers of this resistance, the Punjab Lit Foundation is tapping into a potent force of social change. For those clinging to patriarchal norms, one need only look at the Meira Paibi movement in Manipur, where women successfully protected their neighbourhoods from alcoholism and abuse. The power of mothers against drugs, therefore, cannot be underestimated. The challenge lies in scaling this campaign into a full-blown revolution.
Institutional wall
However, standing in the way of this transformation are Punjab’s own institutions, its often mediocre political thought, an insensitive and over-ambitious corporate class, and a laggard bureaucracy which too often only sees which side the wind is blowing, remaining confused between the various power structures currently at work.
My experience with the campaign over the past two years has been a mixed bag. We have sensitised over 7,000 mothers, yet that number should be vastly higher. We reached this milestone only through persistent persuasion of schools and administrators.
It is disheartening to report that many private schools ghosted us, fearing that discussing drugs would damage their brand. They are living in dangerous denial, while vape culture becomes a staple in student backpacks. Simultaneously, government schools remain largely inaccessible without a top-down mandate from the system.
Myths of social media
Amid this struggle, I salute the visionaries—particularly the several women deputy commissioners in Punjab—who have recognised the merit of this movement. Their clarity stands in stark contrast to the absurdity of certain political leaders advocating for opium cultivation.
Social media is currently awash with this low-calibre discourse. It is shameful to see YouTube journalists platforming such foolishness for clicks. While we struggle to build a narrative against addiction, a dangerous counter-narrative is emerging, framing drugs as a wellness tool.
The hard truth
Mothers reading this must accept a hard truth: No system is coming to save your children. You must empower yourselves with the awareness and tools necessary to protect them from this scourge.
Punjab has perhaps never needed its mothers more than it does today.
singhkhushwant@hotmail.com
Khushwant Singh is an author and former state information commissioner, Punjab. Views expressed are personal.
Source: HindustanTimes
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