A 58-year-old woman from a border village in Tarn Taran is facing threats from alleged drug smugglers days after she bravely approached Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to complain about the rampant drug trade destroying her community.
A Mother's Plea to the Chief Minister
Baljinder Kaur, a resident of Nushera Dhalla village, seized the opportunity when CM Mann made a brief stop in her village on November 3 during his campaign for the Tarn Taran bypoll. She directly narrated to him how her own son had fallen victim to illegal drugs and detailed the alarming prevalence of the narcotics trade in their area.
Following her complaint, the Sarai Amanat Khan police acted, registering an FIR under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. The case was filed against Abinash Singh, also from Naushera Dhalla, after authorities recovered 11 grams of heroin and Rs 10,000 in alleged drug money from his possession. One more individual was named in the FIR but remains at large.
Threats and a Cycle of Fear
In the days since her public appeal, Baljinder Kaur's courage has come at a personal cost. She told The Indian Express that she has been receiving threats from drug smugglers angered by her decision to speak directly to the chief minister.
"It always happens like this—the police conduct raids, but those arrested or detained are soon released. Now the same people are threatening my son and asking why I spoke to the chief minister," Kaur revealed, highlighting a frustrating cycle of temporary police action followed by quick releases.
A Family and Village in Distress
The personal tragedy behind Kaur's public stand is profound. A mother of three, she has witnessed the devastating impact of drugs on her own household. Her drug-addicted son, who works in the fields with her husband, spends all his earnings on narcotics and has even resorted to selling household items to fund his habit.
The situation became so dire that Kaur had to send her grandson to live with relatives because her son was unfit to care for him. Her fear is not unfounded; she shared that her brother-in-law's son had already died from a drug overdose.
"I am afraid that my son would also go down the same path. We are deeply pained. It's not just my family; the entire village is suffering," she said, painting a picture of a community in crisis. She explained that women often travel to Jhabal and Tarn Taran for daily wage work, leaving them unable to monitor their sons and protect them from drug peddlers.
While one of her sons works at a marriage palace, her daughter and daughter-in-law—both employed in Singapore—provide crucial financial support for the family.
A Deteriorating Situation and a Hope for Change
Baljinder Kaur provided a stark political assessment of the drug problem's evolution, stating that the situation has significantly worsened over the years.
"The problem was not as severe during the SAD-BJP Government. It worsened under the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party governments," she observed. Despite the threats and the ongoing challenges, she expressed a glimmer of hope in Chief Minister Mann's promises, concluding with a poignant plea: "Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has made good promises, but those promises must be fulfilled to put an end to drug smuggling."
