The Poisoned Generation- Drug Terror of Punjab

“Fauja Singh, 103, who holds the world record for marathon in his age group, has been selected for British Empire Medal as part of New Year Honours. Fauja, who completed his last competitive 26-mile race in Hong Kong last year, will receive the award in recognition for his athletic achievements.”

Reading this newspaper report last week & feeling proud for Punjabi ‘Turbanned Tornado’ who even featured in an Adidas advertisement in 2004 with David Beckham and Mohd. Ali, I received a phone call bringing news of demise of a childhood friend due to drug overdose. Death of a newly married, 29 years old friend would shock even the most stone hearted person. Albeit sad , I wasn’t shocked!

One is destined to die that way if he choses heroine over his meals.

Charas (cannabis), Ganja(Marijuana), Afeem, Heroine have became part of Punjab’s lifestyle. Heroine is bought from Afghanistan at Rs 1 lakh/kg. Passing through Pakistan it is smuggled into Punjab and sold for Rs 30 lakh a kg. From Punjab it is sold to the rest of the country. Having the most unfortunate tag of being one of the highest per capita consumer of liquor, Punjab is now going through a hurricane of drugs which has claimed lives in epic proportions in the granary of India.

Village Of Widows

Maqboolpura, a village near the Golden City Amritsar is now famous as village of widows where at least one man from each house has given up to this diabolical monster. Amritsar and Tarn taran districts are the worst affected. Many more villages await the same fate in the land of saints where liquor shops outnumber public schools.

The Sixth River

The land of five rivers-Panj(5) & Aab(water)- now has one more river on its land but that’s nothing to be cheerful for. This sixth overflowing river is of Drugs is flooding the generation. And it has left no one untouched- college & school children, kabaddi players, police personal, national boxers, politicians. Some as victims and some as smugglers.

75% of Punjabi youth is drug addict as per Punjab govt.’s admission to Punjab & Haryana High Court. The drug business is worth thousands of crores and ever growing. When the policy makers in New Delhi formulate strategies for reaping Demographic Dividend, I wish these unfortunate boys and girls get a fraction of their thought. They need support, strength and a strategy to come out of that part of society where they are treated as useless, hopeless & wasted burden.

3/4^th of youth of a state get addicted and drugs reach the remotest corner without any agency smelling any foul. Is it a normal failure of governance? The extent of drug menace makes one wonder if  anyone is checking this at all.

Agencies involved to keep vigil

BSF, Directorate of Narcotics Intelligence, Narcotics Control Bureau, Intelligence bureau, Punjab Police are all behind the drug traders, dealers, consumers. Isn’t it intriguing that nothing has worked out so far? What makes them all helpless fence sitters while more & more are dying? DSPs & Cabinet ministers’ names are being dragged in investigations of drug smuggling. “Who will guard the guards ?”

Punjab is known for creating new highs and records. Yet another was an unprecedented phenomenon of distribution of drugs for votes in 2009 assembly elections. A bewildered and amazed Chief Election Commissioner revealed that he has seen liquor distribution in many elections but this was for him a “unique phenomenon in any elections”. Prisons in the state are instead of being the correctional homes, working as safe havens for drug users. You see such news every second day in local newspapers. Amidst such events even the most optimistic person will yield ground. UN Office on Drugs & Crime warns about the alarming levels of drug use in Punjab posing danger to a whole generation.

Many pharmacies offer synthetic versions of expensive drugs for those who can’t afford genuine versions. The illegal drugs industry has modified itself according to the needs of market and all this under the nose of the best agencies of country. If you still can’t afford synthetic ones, the jugaad comes in. Petrol, Iodex or even lizards serve the purpose. That is the desperation of addicts causing immensely horrible health consequences and sudden death.

Drugs in Punjab has become immensely complex problem requiring immensely innovative solutions. For civil society, teachers, social activists, legislators, religious leaders, students & each & every Punjabi & Indian and for PUNJAB…. It is Do or Die!!!

21 Sikhs v/s 10,000 tribesmen – Battle of Saragarhi

On September 12 1897, a battle was fought in present day Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province by less than two dozen soldiers of a Sikh Regiment of British Indian Army. The bravery & valour of the soldiers resulted in their story being written in golden letters in the history. All the 21 Sikh soldiers  who laid down their lives in the Battle of Saragarhi were posthumously awarded the Indian Order of Merit, the highest gallantry award of that time, which an Indian soldier could receive by the hands of the British crown, the corresponding gallantry award being Victoria Cross. This award is equivalent to today's Param Vir Chakra awarded by the President of India.

Born in Majha region of Punjab, these 21 sikh soldiers led by Havildar Ishar Singh were faced with a dangerous life threatening situation.

In August 1897, five companies of the 36th Sikhs under Lt. Col. John Haughton, were sent to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The British had partially succeeded in getting control of this volatile area, however tribal Pashtuns attacked British personnel from time to time. Thus a series of forts, originally built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Ruler of the Sikh Empire, were consolidated. Two of the forts were Fort Lockhart, (on the Samana Range of the Hindu Kush mountains), and Fort Gulistan (Sulaiman Range), situated a few miles apart. Due to the forts not being visible to each other, Saragarhi was created midway, as a heliographic (signalling) communication post. The Saragarhi post, situated on a rocky ridge, consisted of a small block house with loop-holed ramparts and a signalling tower.

On 12 September 1897, 10,000 Pashtuns attacked the signalling post at Saragarhi, so that communication would be lost between the two forts.

The Battle – How things unfolded

Details of the Battle of Saragarhi are considered fairly accurate, due to Gurmukh Singh signalling events to Fort Lockhart by heliograph as they occurred.

·         Around 9:00am, around 10,000 Afghans reach the signaling post at Saragarhi.

·         Sardar Gurmukh Singh signals to Col. Haughton, situated in Fort Lockhart, that they are under attack.

·         Colonel Haughton states he cannot send immediate help to Saragarhi.

·         The soldiers decide to fight to the last to prevent the enemy from reaching the forts.

·         A brave fight is put by sikh soldiers. Some are killed and some injured.

·         In an act of outstanding bravery, Ishar Singh orders his men to fall back into the inner layer, whilst he remains to fight. However, this is breached and all but one of the defending soldiers are killed, along with many of the Pashtuns.

·         Gurmukh Singh, who communicated the battle with Col. Haughton, was the last Sikh defender. He is stated to have killed 20 Afghans, the Pashtuns having to set fire to the post to kill him. As he was dying he was said to have yelled repeatedly the Sikh battle-cry "Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal"

Having destroyed Saragarhi, the Afghans turned their attention to Fort Gulistan, but they had been delayed too long, and reinforcements arrived there in the night of 13–14 September, before the fort could be conquered. The Pashtuns later admitted that they had lost about 180 killed and many more wounded during the engagement against the 21 Sikh soldiers, but some 600 bodies are said to have been seen around the ruined post when the relief party arrived.

Commemorative tablet

The tablet inscription reads;

"The Government of India have caused this tablet to be erected to the memory of the twenty one non-commissioned officers and men of the 36 Sikh Regiment of the Bengal Infantry whose names are engraved below as a perpetual record of the heroism shown by these gallant soldiers who died at their posts in the defence of the fort of Saragarhi, on the 12 September 1897, fighting against overwhelming numbers, thus proving their loyalty and devotion to their sovereign, The Queen Empress of India, and gloriously maintaining the reputation of the Sikhs for unflinching courage on the field of battle."

 

Saragarhi Day  (India)

Saragarhi Day, is a Sikh military commemoration day celebrated on 12 September every year to commemorate The Battle of Saragarhi. Sikh military personnel and Sikh non-military people commemorate the battle around the World every year on 12 September. All units of the Sikh Regiment celebrate Saragarhi Day every year as the Regimental Battle Honours Day.

Saragarhi Memorial Gurudwara (temple) was built in memory of the 21 Sikh soldiers that fought at The Battle of Saragarhi.

Saragarhi Day  (UK)

Saragarhi was commemorated by the British Armed Forces in the UK for the first time at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, when in November 2013 the book "Saragarhi: The Forgotten Battle" by journalist Jay Singh-Sohal was launched. The book is the first and only to authoritatively narrate the battle using primary sources and imagery analysis, and lays to bed many myths that have built up about it including the UNESCO claim.

Saragarhi Day was marked on the battle honour day on 12th September 2014 at Sandhurst at another event organised by the British Army and the leading expert on the battle Jay Singh-Sohal.

The story of unbelievable bravery of Sikhs in Indian Army continues till date. India is proud to be home for this small but immensely brave, cheerful, large hearted community. From the Sikh Gurus to Sikh Soldiers of the present, they have always set unprecedented examples of sacrificing their lives for others.

And this forgotten page of history deserves better place in our present lives.