OF course, the Madhya Pradesh Police deserve much appreciation for launching a statewide anti-drug campaign that Director General of Police Kailash Makwana inaugurated two days ago. Such a drive will make a positive difference to the larger society and many a young people in particular may get saved from the terrible addiction to drugs. If this is a positive side of the story, there also is another side that needs to be considered by the larger society -- its own responsibility towards keeping the young generations safe and free from drug addiction. Unfortunately, on this count, the larger Indian society -- anywhere -- does earn many merit points. Most unfortunately, increasing numbers of young people are known to be falling prey to the bad habit of drugs or alcohol or even tobacco.

 

The loosefooter is not stating something that the larger society is not aware of. In fact, he is trying to highlight once again something the society has suffered for long. He is, therefore, sad that there is only a perfunctory awareness about the issue in the minds of people in general. Open a conversation with teachers in schools and colleges on this subject, and you will be shocked to hear their disinterested responses. Almost similar responses will also come from parents and family elders. There would hardly be persons with a burning desire to combat the drug or alcohol or tobacco. It may appear to be a rather harsh or daring statement, but the loosefooter suspects that the larger society seems to have stopped attaching much importance to protecting its youngsters from addictions. It is truly unfortunate, but the element of truth in it cannot be brushed aside easily.

 

As a society -- of which the family is the most critical unit -- we appear to have stopped being bothered about what intellectual material we feed into young brains. So, the fare that is dished out on smart phones or various Apps or various digital platforms or OTT or other channels is rarely gets subjected to a strict moral scrutiny. Using abusive language, showing morally filthy scenes of cheap taste, telling stories of moral turpitude -- all these things appear to have got social sanction. It is not surprising, therefore, to find young people getting into wrong lanes of life quite early on. Whose responsibility is this ? When the larger society is so weighed down with wrong ideas and ideals, then how can we save our youngsters from bad habits such as drugs and alcohol and tobacco ? So, even as the loosefooter appreciates the anti-drug drive by the honourable Director General of Police, he has serious issues with the loosening moral fabric of the larger society. It is this concern that he now wishes to share with the people ! n