Jammu and Kashmir has seen terrorism and it’s after effects for decades together with irreparable damage being done to the social fabric, beyond words to explain. As if pain and agony of facing grenades, bombs, AK47 and consequent blood bath was not enough, narco-terrorism has been leashed on the youth of Jammu and Kashmir. Our UT has seen neighbouring ‘Udatta Punjab’ but right now the situation of Jammu and Kashmir is no different from its neighbour. With the deteriorating situation of Punjab on narcotics front and subsequent pressure from security and other Government agencies, narcotics smuggling got shifted from Punjab to Jammu and Kashmir borders with the advantage of hilly terrain, inaccessible during winters and easy to crossover routes, the narco-trade flourished like anything and in no time J&K became the golden goose of narco business. With the opening of cross border trade this trade got further flip and despite repeated recommendations of agencies to install full body truck scanners at the transit points but nothing was done. The resultant penetration of drugs in each and every nook and corner of the UT is for everyone to see. Daily seizures of narcotics at different locations of UT are just tip of the iceberg. Newspapers are full of news stories along with photographs but shocking is the fact that conviction rate of narcotics under NDPS Act are dismissal and more serious is the fact that this conviction percentage is dropping on yearly basis. To protect the innocent from harassment clear cut instructions are given under the NDPSA guidelines, how to get search warrant, if search warrant is not available what all to do, how many witnesses required, presence of a gazetted officer a must, how to maintain case property, importance of recording of time of search, seizures and every detail has to be recorded and the most important one testing of the seized material by FSL under due care. One can understand that under previous regimes all these things were taken lightly as such neither proper FSL got established nor accountability of IOs and other officers were fixed for ever declining conviction rate but the very fact that old system is untouched and same old procedures are being adopted even now with the result no improvement of conviction percentage under the present regime as well despite the fact that three years have gone post abrogation of Article 370. All said and done the ground situation is still the same, either the IOs are not trained, not well versed with the set law and procedures or doing the things deliberately is anyone’s guess work only. Non production of case properties in Courts itself is a very serious matter and as such warrants severe departmental action for this serious lapse. A UT which has been bearing the brunt of terrorism for so many decades has no proper FSL, a practical example of non serious approach for decades and still following it. All these lapses when seen on a collective platform leaves one shocked, are we really serious about narco-terrorism, will these half hearted approaches will yield any tangible results? A paradigm has been set, seize it, arrest them and then let them go. Right now Jammu and Kashmir is hot button of narco trade but no scientific approach is being adopted, no proper FSL , no full body truck scanners, least aware IOs and on the other side the enemy has the vast network of narco-espiocrats, advantage enemy and the result is Jammu and Kashmir suffering immensely, damage to present and coming generations beyond imagination. Time and again Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has intervened, rapped on the knuckles but it seems some extra bitter pill has to be prescribed. HC has rightly taken a serious view of prevailing situation and asked for the ATR. One hopes the authorities now come out from hibernation and act swiftly to get these most heinous enemies of the society behind bars. Examples should be set, beyond any doubt, like terrorism- narco-terrorism has also no place in Jammu and Kashmir.
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