Phillaur's Ganna Pind reeling under social stigma since long

Tribune News Service

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, May 29

As the Jalandhar rural police and a team of the STF conducted a major raid against drug peddlers in Ganna Pind today, what stood out was sheer number of FIRs and the stigma associated with the village.

Was adopted by Jalandhar MP in 2014

• Infamous for being one of the most notorious drug villages of the district, Ganna Pind was ironically adopted by Jalandhar MP Santokh Chaudhary in 2014, under the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana. It falls under the Phillaur constituency, where Chaudhary’s son Vikramjit Chaudhary is the sitting MLA.
• Phillaur MLA and Congress leader Vikramjit Chaudhary said: “One of the prime reasons for adopting Ganna Pind was the notorious drug problem here. Back when it was adopted, it was primarily known for many people here selling hooch. However, over the years, the village has branched out to selling synthetic drugs.”

Both the police and a Phillaur MLA (Ganna Pind falls under the Phillaur constituency) said drug menace had translated to a social stigma wherein no one wanted to marry off their children into the village. Phillaur MLA Vikram Chaudhary also wrote to the Jalandhar SSP demanding a police post at Ganna Pind. Chaudary also said the demand couldn’t be previously addressed (during the Congress government) as some police officials then were unresponsive on the issue.

“The village sarpanch said these people (drug sellers) have maligned the name of the village to such an extent that families of other villages refused matrimonial alliances in this village,” said an official release of the police regarding the massive raid today.

Infamous for being one of the most notorious drug villages of the district, Ganna Pind was ironically adopted by Jalandhar MP Santokh Chaudhary in 2014, under the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana. It falls under the Phillaur constituency, where Chaudhary’s son Vikramjit Chaudhary is the sitting MLA.

Phillaur MLA and Congress leader Vikramjit Chaudhary said: “One of the prime reasons for adopting Ganna Pind was the notorious drug problem here. Back when it was adopted, it was primarily known for many people here selling hooch. However, over the years, the village has branched out to selling synthetic drugs.”

On being asked why he hadn’t sought a police post there from previous police officials, Chaudhary alleged: “I had taken up the issue many times with the previous police officials, but it wasn’t addressed. Some of the police officials working in other parts of the state were actively promoting drugs and some local officials were aligned with them. They were a part of the nexus. That is why the problem went unaddressed and festered to this point. I totally support the action taken by current SSP Swapan Sharma. Though the recovery is meager, it is an appreciable action. It is also laudable that the SSP himself visited the village with his team. I have made a formal demand for a police chowki at the village and am willing to share all kinds of information that I receive on the issue with the police.”

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