Ludhiana: Grieving mothers and fractured families marched through the streets of Punjab on Monday, carrying photos of dead children to demand government action against a rampant synthetic drug crisis ravaging the region's working-class youth.
Protest Organized by Pendu Mazdoor Union
Organized by the Pendu Mazdoor Union, the march went from the Jagraon bus terminal to the subdivisional magistrate's office. The protest highlighted the devastating local impact of chitta—a lethal, low-grade heroin derivative—which activists say continues to spread despite highly publicized government crackdowns.
Impact on Low-Income Families
The labour unionists say that the addiction crisis disproportionately targets low-income families, including Dalit labourers and small-scale farmers. 'Addicted youths exhaust all family resources, selling off basic household items like utensils, bedding, and food grain to finance their habits,' said Avtar Singh Rasulpur, general secretary of the union. 'When everything is gone, they are driven to theft and violent crime, pushing their families into absolute ruin.'
Demands Submitted to Authorities
The demonstrators submitted a memorandum to Naib Tehsildar Surinder Kumar, demanding a structural overhaul of the state's response to the epidemic. They want a ₹10 lakh compensation package for widows and parents of overdose victims, alongside targeted job creation for affected households. They also called for shifting focus from criminalizing addicts to expanding public health infrastructure, including better funding for rehabilitation clinics, dedicated counseling, and a crackdown on high-level narcotics traffickers.
Personal Tragedies Highlighted
Among the marchers was Hakam Singh, an elderly resident from Rasoolpur village who walked alone after losing both of his sons to fatal overdoses. Next to him, Paramjit Kaur, a domestic maid from Jagraon, carried a portrait of her 22-year-old son who died 15 months ago. 'I scrub floors just to survive,' she said. 'The government must stop the flow of these drugs so other mothers do not have to bury their sons.'
Government Response
Naib Tehsildar Surinder Kumar accepted the memorandum on behalf of the regional administration and confirmed the demands would be forwarded to the state government for immediate review.
