‘Team Jammu’s’ fight against drug abuse gets govt’s attention

Jammu, Mar 18: Jammu and Kashmir government has given representation to a social body named “Team Jammu” into the state Drug De-Addiction Centre Monitoring Committees.
‘Team Jammu’, headed by journalist turned social activist, Zorawar Singh Jamwal, launched its fight drug mafia operating in the state and ruining the future generations.
Jammu and Kashmir Government this month constituted three Drug De-addiction Centre Monitoring Committees comprising a State and two Divisional Levels.
Jamwal, Chairman ‘Team Jammu’ has been included as a member in the state committee.
The journey of ‘Team Jammu’, which started in 2014 with a mega bike rally, has finally reaching to some logistic after the fight against drug mafia launched, forced the state police to get more active and alert which resulted into seizure of tonnes of contrabands including poppy straw, cannabis, heroin, intoxicants, in the past few years.
“It was great gesture on part of the Governor Satya Pal Malik headed administration that they acknowledged the work of our body and gave us an opportunity to further intensify our fight against the drug menace,” Jamwal said.
He said that his idea of floating ‘Team Jammu’ was not only to raise concerns of people of Jammu but drug menace was the priority, adding, “We have always been fighting against this menace because it has spoiled our generations.”
He said that initially when the body was established, only a small group floated an idea of launching the war but presently, around 50,000 volunteers from Jammu region have joined hands with ‘Team Jammu’ and are playing an active role in their respective districts by acting as watchdogs as well as whistle blowers.
“We have been holding rallies, seminars, symposiums, workshops on drug abuse in various districts of Jammu region, which helped a lot to aware people about the menace and it ultimately, bear fruits,” he said.
Besides fighting war against drug mafia, ‘Team Jammu’ is also rehabilitating the drug addicts, who want to join the mainstream but cannot afford their treatment.
“Till date, more than 200 youth including girls, have been sent to the rehab centres in the neighbouring Punjab and ‘Team Jammu’ is spending from its own pocket for their treatment,” said Jamwal and added that people scared of social of stigma, do not openly come out and disclose about their children, who have been trapped into the menace but ‘Team Jammu’ finds them and get treated with a pledge that they will join the mainstream and lead a happy life in the society.