Raghbir Singh Brar
Faridkot
April 28,2026
Scene 1
A few days ago,I hired a motorcycle rehri to bring some construction material at home,two cement sheets and some iron.
The owner of the motorcycle rehri was very hyper and he did not even pay attention to my address,but just got my phone no.
Despite my explaining the way to my house from Kotkapura town, he continued to call me and even then went the wrong way.
When he reached me, he was sweating.”Uncle,give me a glass of cold water,” he said.
“Do you take some drugs,” I asked, seeing his movements and hyperactivity.
“Yes,I take the jeeb wali goli(Buprenorphine,taken as sublingual,usually to treat the symptoms of de addiction),” he said.
“I would go to work on a combine harvester outside the state,where I used to take poppy husk.but poppy husk is very expensive here, so I use it now,” he claims.
‘You know machines can be operated without poppy husk,” he said.
When I asked him how old he was, he said that he was 31 and married,having children.
On how he procured it,”he said that he procured it on his own privately.One stripe of the 10 tablets cost us Rs 250, and some get more and they sell it at Rs 1000 per stripe,” he claimed.
About police raids, he said that the police raids are there,but we run away when the police descend.
About government hospitals,he said that only one dosage is given, so we manage to get on our own.
“Uncle,will you give me some tea,” he then abruptly asked.
Yes wait for a while and I would give you some,after taking tea and his fare, he left.
Scene 2 at grain market Kotkapura at night.
Delayed too much by the commission agent, I had to get my produce weighed between between 9 PM and 11.30PM
As there was hardly any space to unload the produce,I had to unload it in a small space between the filled up gunny bags of two different shops.
A lathi in his hand and somewhat physically challenged, a youth,employed by a commision agent,rushed in the mid way of the business of weighing.
“You…..,he used uncivilised language against the migrant labourers.Have you created this gap by removing the gunny bags.Have you messed up the whole stock,”he shouted,calling name.
As the migrant labourers could not afford to engage with such allegedly drug addicts,I came to their rescue.
“They have mot done anything wrong,this has been done by the commission agents men to vacate some place,” I intervend.
But he was on high.
“Have you drunk, I suspected from the foul smell from his mouth.”
“How can you say so.You can get my medical examination done.I have taken some capsules,” he boasted and then continued to speak irelivently.
“You want to create a fight between us,” he even alleged.
“Get out,I said and after the intervention of others, he left.
Scene 3.
In the late morning,two youth,one badly injured his foot and another his accomplice,stole a filled up gunny bag of wheat.They sat quietly among the sacks.Took up the filled up and stocked gunny bag and poured it into their own.Them they tried their best to lift it from there,but failed.
“This is the third time they have tried to steal the bag of wheat,” said two men who found it in the afternoon,from the same nearby shop.
Scene 4.
A youth from the village,who ran a straw reaper, hired six youths and one woman to vacate/means unloading wheat straw/ the straw from the trolley.But his business was not moved for days.
They did little,harassing the farmers and the operator.
“They daily demand money.Half of them are drug addicted,” the operator said in disappointment.
One day, it was my turn for straw making.Two of them,in their teenage years, allegedly used chitta and some continuously smoked biris.
“Where are you going boy leaving my work mid way,” I asked one Sanjay.
“Uncle I have to go and I shall soon come back,” he said sitting on his bike.
“Are you going to buy some drug(Maal),” I asked and he said yes.
In the evening,they were smoking biris and biris.
ONe of them,even entered the washroom of our house.When I followed and questioned him, he could not satisfy,might be he had drugs there in hoiding.
“Why are you bent on destroying yourself.what is your age,” I taunted them.
“Bus uncle nasha lag gaya,what can we do now?” the young one replied.
The next day
They did not turn up until 10.
When they turned up,there were only four, including the woman.
“Vijay,his brother and another one quarreled with the village people.They got wounded.One of them had just come out of the police station when he allegedlyu eloped a village girl.Our village youth is getting destroyed by drug addiction.On the other hand,there are my sons,they do not take any drug.But they drink as you know everyone drinks here,” the woman explained to me.
What do the police do?I asked the woman.
“What can police do to these people.How many of the addicted youth who also start fights and commit other crimes, can the police arrest.They also avoid.
“We have also tired the police,” the woman sums up very appropriately.
Soon after, that labour was replaced by the operator.
The results of the Youdh Nashian Virudh
As of late April 2026, the Punjab Police’s “Yudh Nashian Virudh” (War Against Drugs) campaign has resulted in over 60,000 arrests and massive drug seizures.
Key Data (March 2025 – April 2026):
- Total Arrests: Over 60,000 drug smugglers have been arrested.
- Seizures (One-Year Data): During the first year of the campaign (ending Feb/March 2026), authorities seized over 2,277 kg of heroin.
- Other Seizures: Over 49 lakh intoxicant tablets/capsules and ₹16.70 crore in drug money were recovered during the first year.
- Routine Operation: In recent, daily, state-wide operations, police routinely arrest over 100 individuals and seize kilograms of heroin, opium, and large quantities of intoxicant pills. (courtesy AI tools of google search.)