NARCOTICS SPREAD FAST IN KERALA SCHOOLS

Report published by Malayala Manorama on 27th May 2023 shows the intensity and velocity of spread of narcotics consumption in Kerala schools. The situation is extremely dangerous rather becoming an imminent catastrophe. According to a list prepared by the Excise Intelligence team, 250 schools were seriously affected by narcotics use among school children in last September. This is now reported to have risen to 1100 schools now. Narcotics distribution agents are reportedly mooving around the schools freely. If this is allowed to be continued like this, the future of Kerala would be quite dark.

All the concerned government departments alongwith the school management and teachers, parents of the school children, religious leaders, voluntary organisations etc should jointly put their best efforts to eradicate this cancerous vice from our society as early as possible. Otherwise our state will be filled with hard-core criminals. I would like to propose the following for the attention of all concerned.

1. Buying, selling, carrying, storing and using of all kinds of narcotics, without any restriction/consideration of quantity should be a punishable offence with a minimum of 10 years jail term and a minimum penalty Rs 1 lakh or ten times the value of the narcotics caught.

2. In the case of school children involved in buying and using narcotics should be sent to reformatory school for a minimum period of one year and a maximum of two years.

3. Politicians involved to save the culprits should be brought to light.

4. Any government officials found accepting bribe to save the culprits should be terminated from service.

5. Properties of wholesale dealers, of narcotics caught, should be attached by the government. 

6. Government may appoint 50 or 60 qualified and physically fit youth, both male and female, initially for two years, on stipend cum allowance basis with the sole duty to identify the narcotics dealers, traders, local distributors, buyers and the location of transaction and inform the police well in time. Those who successfully perform with maximum number of cases may be recruited in police as Sub Inspectors. Similarly in schools, few senior students may be nominated secretly on case to case reward basis. And also try to have discourse by eminent people twice in an year in every school to make aware of the children about the unbelievable hazard concealed in narcotics.

If we can do the above on result oriented basis, result will be certain. We Indians should not try to bring our country to shambles. The world is keenly watching our economic and cultural growth. Shamelessly we are playing dirty political game and meaningless religious games for someone else. If our media reports are right, many of our politicians and government employees are playing with all corrupt practices to amass wealth. Should we not change ourselves to disciplined human beings and live happily and peacefully with the large resources nature has bestowed upon us and huge manpower to exploit those.

K V George