Is State becoming UDTA Telangana?

Taking a serious note of the increasing incidents of ganja smuggling busts in the State and reports of the mafia luring farmers to grow ganja as an inter crop, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has asked the administration to clamp down on the supply of contraband across the State. He also took a serious note of the Hyderabad becoming a major hub for drugs like heroin, coming from Nigeria, and ganja from the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. Sweeping measures against the menace including warning of cancellation of Rythu Bandhu for farmers taking to ganja cultivation, a cross-section of society has welcomed the crackdown and put forth suggestions to stamp out the evil from the State. Here are excerpts:

The drugs scene is growing mostly amongst the college going students. It's becoming kind of cool attitude to say that one has had some dopes and such kind of students are flaunting their style and flexing muscles to show their masculinity. Mostly, such kind of students are irregular to classes and can be found hanging just outside the college gate and whenever they see any of their classmate who is a bit soft spoken then he/she becomes their target to emit their aggression. If the government seriously wants to eradicate the drugs from society then the police officers should start patrolling the colleges in civil uniform because if the cops come in uniform then such students run away from the place as it had happened earlier

- Avaiz Ahmed, Student, Hyderabad

Despite the government taking all measures to stop drugs cultivation and trafficking of drugs and narcotics from other countries, drug mafia is spreading with the help of technology and social media. Drug dealers already entered college campuses and exploiting innocent students and youth. Need of the hour is to implement rules and regulations strictly and take all measures to prevent drugs trafficking and ganja cultivation in agency and hilly areas. This is be possible only with the coordination among various departments of the State, Centre and UN. Also, active involvement of individuals is important to end this menace. Let's all work hard and stop this menace and see that our State becomes drug-free Telangana.

Dr Gunna Rajender Reddy, Chairman,

Gandhi Global Family Gandhi & Gyan Prathistaan, Nalgonda

Opium war is not new to the world. But the war declared by CM KCR is applaudable since it is a war not for power but against one of the social evils. Drugs is a chain- linked crime, which involves not just drug producers but suppliers, peddlers and consumers also. This is more of a social/sociological menace that is being forced through a high highly layered economic hegemony. The government should focus on targeting the cultivators and suppliers to make Telangana a drug-free State. The victimised target groups must be either reformed or be given access to venues that enhance their capabilities

G Sushma, Student, Khammam

It is a welcoming gesture and a well appreciated thought from the Telangana government to declare war against drugs. This organised crime should be curbed at the earliest, which targets youth and ruin their lives. This exploitative and abusive culture is often rampant among film industries. The State government rightly figured out the problem being ganja cultivation and taking all steps to stop this crime from roots.

Kota Devadanam Rtd Additional Public Prosecutor, Khammam

Drug abuse has become a common problem than it is anticipated. Parents and communities need to work along with police to protect the youth from becoming addicts and from spoiling their career and lives. More focus is needed on the part of government while public organisations, psychiatrists and counsellors can play an important role in diverting the youth from becoming drug addicts

Dr Waseem, Pulmonologist, Karimnagar