Punjab: 22-Year-Old Youth Dies Due To Drug Overdose, Video Of Incident Goes Viral

The video of a mother weeping over her son’s dead body in the middle of a garbage dump who died due to the drug overdose in Punjab has been making its rounds on social media. The incident took place in Prem Nagar area of Kotkapara, Faridkot on Saturday morning.

Watch this video from Prem Nagar, KotKapura, Punjab. A mother wailing the death of her 22 year old son, Balwinder, a sweet shop employee. A syringe was in his hand when his dead body was found. His mother says he used to take drugs. pic.twitter.com/7BxO5UFBzJ

— Chitleen K Sethi (@ChitleenKSethi) June 23, 2018

The deceased boy has been identified as Balwinder Singh.

Addicted To Drugs

According to the Times Of India, the mother, Kashmir Kaur said,”My son used to work at a sweet shop and would take drugs regularly. I had stopped him a couple of times, but he would never listen to me. I have lost my son, but I don’t want other mothers of Punjab to lose their sons too. The government should do something to eradicate drugs from Punjab.”

Although the video clearly showed a syringe in his hands at the time of death, pointing that he might have injected the drugs before he died, Kotakpura SSP Nanak Singh denied it to be a case of drug overdose. He told News18 that according to the reports, the deceased was suffering from black jaundice, which resulted in his death. He also stated that the police were checking if someone was selling drugs nearby.

Avtar Singh, a local resident who captured the incident on camera claimed that 80% of youth in Punjab are addicted to ‘Chitta’, which is a concoction of drugs, produced by combining heroin and ecstasy, LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) as well as methamphetamines, reported News18.

Government actions

Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has made tall claims that his government in Punjab achieved success in a drive against drugs since the Congress came to power in March. Party MLA Surjit Dhiman quoted by Hindustan times said that Chitta’(A white powder referring to drugs) is “easily available in every nook and corner” as the drive against the drug menace “remained effective for only the first 15 days of the government”.

The activity to curb drug menace was on the top priority in manifesto during the Punjab Assembly Polls, 2017. The manifesto stated that drug supply, distribution and consumption will be eradicated in four weeks.

According to Hindustan times, During the campaigning for the elections in 2017, Capt. Amarinder Singh promised to wipe off drugs in just four weeks, by holding a gutka (A holy Sikh Book) in hands, if he comes to power.

Later, the CM created a special task force (STF) under an IPS Harpreet Singh Sidhu to tackle the supply and demand of drugs in Punjab. However, according to the loyalists in their party, the drive was active just for 15 days, and as a result, many youngsters like Balwinder Singh are dying on the streets of Punjab.

The Logical Indian Take

Punjab’s drug menace has reached epic proportions and the awareness about the addiction is growing among the citizens of our country. Addiction comes with its negative effects that destabilize social equation, family culture and the loved ones of the addict have to watch the addicts implode and spoil their lives.

Even though the present Punjab government has launched a number of measures to tackle the menace of drug abuse among the youths of the state, much work still remains.

The Logical Indian requests the Parliamentarians, the people and the civil society to keep the discussion and awareness campaign on the drug issue of Punjab alive and together we can win over the drug menace and the stop the death of youths like Balwinder.

Also published on Medium.