Fighting the ‘Hydra’ of Modern Era
Wanted to Blog.. and hence comes this blog! 🙂
DRUGS are like the mythical creature ‘Hydra’, who possessed many heads and was a bane to humanity. They (drugs) have been a constant source of misery to many. It affects an individual on many levels like personal, social, financial and legal. It also affects the society and the country as it promotes organized crime syndicate to emerge which in turn increases corruption and money laundering related crimes.
The major reason why drug abuse is so dangerous and hard to fight is its addictive nature. A drug addict will do anything to get more drugs. He will not think about the repercussions of his decisions. This is why drug addicts, who do not have money to buy more drugs, resort to stealing and sometimes even murders. More affluent addicts, though they do not have problems with acquiring drugs, create problems for themselves and the society. This compulsion/addiction of drugs is why drug trafficking is on the rise.
In a country like India where there is rampant poverty, high unemployment and low literacy, there is a high chance for illegal drug trafficking. Added to this India is located between two major illicit opium producing centers in Asia – the Golden Crescent comprising Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran and the Golden Triangle comprising Burma, Thailand and Laos. India is the world’s largest producer of licit opium for the pharmaceutical trade but an undetermined quantity of opium is also diverted to illicit international drug markets. India is also a hub for illegal drug exports to the world. An important site for this is the commercial capital, Mumbai.
If there is an evil like Hydra there is also a hero like Hercules, and in this case it is the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).It is the chief law enforcement and intelligence agency of India responsible for fighting drug trafficking and the abuse of illegal substances in India. It uses weapons like NDPS Act to curb drug trafficking and its abuse. It also organizes training programs on Drug Law Enforcement for the Central/State agencies to counter the menace of drug trafficking.
I feel the major way to curb the drug problem is through social awareness and educating the masses of the dangers of abusing drugs and helping the addicts to reform. Nowadays prestigious institutions are working in this direction and are conducting drug and narcotics awareness programs.
Symbiosis Centre for Information Technology (SCIT) conducted such an awareness program recently for its students. The session was very informative and covered topics like general addictions to smoking, drinking, social networking, adverse effects of narcotics and addiction in general and legal consequences of illegal possession of drugs. They also informed about the importance of family and friends in one’s life.
Like it is said “Hate the evil, not the person” the society should also fight against abuse of drugs and drug trafficking, not the drug addicts who require support and help. So let us all together, with some help from Hercules, fight against this hydra of the modern era which is plaguing our society.
Sabari Nair MBA(ITBM) 2013-2015 @ SCIT
References:
- http://www.state.gov/j/inl/rls/nrcrpt/2013/vol1/204050.htm
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcotic_Drugs_and_Psychotropic_Substances_Act_%28India%29#Narcotic_Drugs_and_Psychotropic_Substances_Act
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_India#Illegal_drug_trade
- http://narcoticsindia.nic.in/NCB_Training.htm
