The state of Punjab, hailed as India’s “granary,” is a proud land that has produced soldiers to guard the nation’s borders and farmers to feed the country’s hunger. But, unfortunately, today it is drowning in tears, having sacrificed its own children to drugs.
For Punjab, drugs are not merely a law-and-order issue. They have also emerged as a crucial political factor that determines the fate of those in power in every legislative assembly election. Rehabilitation centers opening on every street and the youth dying after falling prey to addiction have become the state’s unhealed wounds of sorrow.
As elections to the 117-member Punjab Legislative Assembly are expected to be held in February 2027, the cry of women asking, “Which party will save the young people in our homes?” is echoing in every village of Punjab.
People who voted overwhelmingly in 2022, fully believing the Aam Aadmi Party’s attractive promise that “we will completely eradicate drugs within four months of coming to power,” are still struggling to break free from the grip of addiction, pushing the ruling party into a severe political crisis.
The curse of changing parties but not changing the scene:
Although the party symbols and chief ministers who have held power have kept changing—from Congress to Shiromani Akali Dal to BJP and now Aam Aadmi—no party has been able to rid Punjab of the ‘drug monster’ that continues to plague it.
To resolve this issue, which has persisted for decades in the state of Punjab, Amarinder Singh, during the previous Congress government, took an oath on the holy book and made a promise. The Aam Aadmi government that followed set a four-month deadline. Not only under the rule of these two parties, but even during the Shiromani Akali Dal government, the situation was no better. Only the promises of politicians remained, while the spread of drugs could not be stopped from taking over every corner of the state.
The social impact of drugs
Social activist Parvinder Singh Jotta, who had been actively involved in intense campaigns and protests against drugs in Punjab, was brutally murdered in broad daylight in Mansa city, putting the ruling party under immense pressure. The drug problem is one that can severely affect society, cutting across caste, religion, and age. In particular, the anguish and anger of women in families and parents could resonate during the 2027 voting and cause sharp shifts in the election results.
How are drugs so easily available?
Danger due to the border region:
The state of Punjab shares an international border of about 553 kilometers with Pakistan. From across the border, ‘heroin’, synthetic drugs, and weapons are easily dropped by drones. These reach anti-social elements and spread among the people.
Gangsters - politicians nexus:
For decades, an illegal nexus has been operating between drug smugglers, local police personnel, and those with political influence.
Worsening situation:
Punjab ranks first among the states most severely affected by drug use in the country. According to extensive surveys conducted by the Punjab government, it has been found that in most villages of the state, some form of drug addiction has affected the youth.
The state’s former police chief, Shashi Kant, who worked for a long time in drug eradication, said, “There is a strong nexus between a section of the police force, political leaders, and government departments. Because of this, it becomes impossible to prevent the drug menace and its trade and use. Greed for making money is another reason this business continues to flourish,” he said.
According to Dr. Ranjit Singh Kuman, Professor of Economics at Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar, “Youth addiction to drugs is a serious problem in many northern states. Data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) also confirms that Punjab has more drug-related cases than other states.
Our studies indicate that there is a nexus between the police, smugglers, and political leaders. Moreover, political parties are also involved in distributing drugs during elections,” he said.
Unemployment, economic stagnation:
Due to the severe frustration caused by the agricultural crisis and unemployment, 80 percent of young people become easily addicted to drugs.
International route:
Punjab, which lies at the entry point of the international drug trafficking route through Iran - Afghanistan - Pakistan, cannot be curbed by the state government alone.
2027 election - impact and forecast
For the promise made by the Aam Aadmi Party in 2022, the Aam Aadmi government took several strict measures, including setting up an anti-narcotics task force, seizing smugglers’ assets, and registering more than 60,000 FIRs. However, people allege that drugs are still freely available in rural areas.
Campaigning on such administrative failures will create a favorable environment for the Congress and the newly emerging BJP-Akali Dal alliance to harvest rural votes. At the same time, it cannot be denied that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s personal popularity, free electricity, ‘Aam Aadmi Clinics,’ and women’s welfare schemes have given the ruling party a strong vote bank.
Nevertheless, the failure to fulfill the promise of eliminating drugs, along with the deterioration in law and order, is being seen as a major setback for Aam Aadmi. As a result, although Aam Aadmi may have a chance to regain power in the 2027 election, political forecasts indicate that its huge majority of 92 seats in 2022 could shrink significantly to between 69 and 82 seats.