In the wake of the hurricane stirred up by the release of the movie ‘Udta Punjab’ comes a new and surprising twist in the story of India, or more specifically, Punjab’s drug war. Patiala MP, Dr Dharamvira Gandhi has proposed the decriminalisation of marijuana. Considering most of the current outline of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act has been in effect since 1985 and the battle against drugs has gone from bad to worse, many would agree that it’s high time for a change.
A draft has already been prepared by a group of Delhi-based lawyers that will legalise recreational drugs like bhukki (poppy husk), bhang (marijuana) and afeem (opium), it also suggests that India should take a different approach to addicts and start treating them like patients instead of criminals. The final will be a collaboration of many minds from many spheres. “Discussions on the bill will be held among politicians, lawyers, psychiatrists, academicians, activists, drug users, religious leaders and media personalities this weekend to elicit their opinions and give it a final shape,” says Gandhi.
The NDPS Act was instituted to meet international drug policy standards but in the process created a market which grew exponentially until it became a blight on the face of society. The peddling of illicit substances by the so-called drug mafias of India have been instrumental in uncountable drug-related deaths. The inability to source pure drugs from reliable dealers has led many to succumb to the adverse effects of synthetic and artificial drugs which unlike their original counterparts have deadly repercussions. Gandhi also cites the effects of legalisation in other countries and the positive after-effects saying “It appears that stricter punitive measures are not assuaging the problem, but only making it worse. This calls for a modernisation of Indian drug policy, by combating the demand for drugs along with the supply of harmful substances.” It is his hope that the decriminalisation of marijuana will be the first step to breaking down the nexus of corruption and deceit surrounding the drug centres of India. In tandem with the new outlook towards addiction he predicts the number of citizens suffering at the hands of substance abuse will be significantly lower.
This will be a controversial step for the government and there are many who will openly oppose the move especially due to Gandhi’s current suspension from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) due to ‘differences with the leadership’. It’s only a matter of time before we will see whether India is to join the Mary Jane movement or if they will just puff puff pass on this historical amendment.
Featured Image Courtesy: telegraph.co.uk
Words: Shireen Jamooji