Guest Column | Mothers, Punjab’s first line of defence against drugs

Imagine mothers as a collective force: Incorruptible, watchful, and fiercely protective. Now imagine them trained and empowered, convinced they are the generals, the chief ministers of their homes, leading the resistance against drugs.

Last year, at a Mothers Against Drugs camp in Bullowal, Hoshiarpur, I overheard two police officers whisper to each other: “Sir, jey eh programme dhool padh gaya, tey eh Punjab vich agg laa daoo (Sir, if this programme takes off, it will spread like wildfire).”

Today, the Mothers Against Drugs programme is led by PLF co-founder, Sanna Kaushal. The programme works through schools, asking them to organise special parent-teacher meetings.

Their words captured exactly what the Punjab Lit Foundation (PLF) is trying to do. For years, the fight against drugs in Punjab has been framed in terms of border seizures, police raids, and political rallies. But what if the real solution lies in our homes? What if the game-changer is not more jails or checkpoints, but mothers empowered, vigilant, and positioned as the first line of defence?

Birth of an idea

This idea was not born in a boardroom, but during the 170-km People’s Walk Against Drugs from New Chandigarh to Kartarpur, spread over two years. At every stage, women turned up in large numbers. They were the most anxious, had the maximum questions, and carried the deepest wounds. That walk convinced us that Punjab’s women, particularly mothers, were ready to shoulder this fight.

Today, the Mothers Against Drugs programme is led by PLF co-founder, Sanna Kaushal. The programme works through schools, asking them to organise special parent-teacher meetings. The PLF brings behavioural experts who equip mothers with tools: How to recognise early signs of addiction, how to talk to children about peer pressure, and how to stop drugs from creeping into the household at the very first stage.

Why mothers matter

The target group is mothers of children between Classes 8 and 12, the most vulnerable years for drug exposure, yet a stage when most children are still under parental supervision. These are also the years when a mother’s influence is at its peak.

Imagine mothers as a collective force: Incorruptible, watchful, and fiercely protective. Now imagine them trained and empowered, convinced they are the generals, the chief ministers of their homes, leading the resistance against drugs. That was exactly what those police officers meant: Not only would such mothers guard their own children, but they would also ensure that peddlers are not allowed to infiltrate their villages and colonies.

Unfortunately, barring a few administrators, government and officials often miss the point. A district education officer once created student committees to inspect shops near schools. Well-intentioned, perhaps, but misplaced. What Punjab needs are mothers’ committees, strong, organised, and backed with knowledge. Even welfare schemes could be linked here. If the AAP government wants to transfer ₹2,000 a month to women, why not channel it into building a volunteer army of trained mothers? Random sops without purpose are criminal.

The crucial question is: How do we implement this? Do Punjab’s stakeholders understand the power of the idea? Will schools embrace it? Will philanthropists fund it? Are governments willing to support a movement that does not offer immediate political optics?

Threat is real, so is risk

My experience is mixed. For decades, governments have used the drug menace as a political slogan, more useful for ascending to power than solving the problem. Events are hijacked by political speeches, where an MLA or councillor eats up the time meant for experts. Nepotism and personality-driven politics keep the focus on optics, not outcomes.

But this programme has to be pursued with persistence; the way Rotary drove the anti-polio campaign, step-by-step, school-by-school, and mother-by-mother. The PLF is ready to commit to that hard work if supported. Every senior secondary school should make such parent-teacher sessions part of its annual calendar.

School owners’ responses so far have not been encouraging. While some welcomed the idea wholeheartedly, the majority of private schools in the Chandigarh tricity, however, worry about their “brand image”. They fear that hosting a Mothers Against Drugs session might suggest their school has a problem. Others argue that city mothers are already “empowered enough” and do not need such training. This is a dangerous denial. For example, let us note the popularity of vaping among schoolchildren. Officials quietly admit that a significant percentage of students now carry vapes to school. The threat is real, and every child is at risk. In this situation, an informed mother can make all the difference. Added knowledge never harms, it only protects.

What about Punjab’s corporates? Here the silence is deafening. Convincing them to support this programme has been challenging. It could be because they don’t believe in the idea and have their own focus areas, but every mother sensitised is a child saved. If mothers rise, this firewall will never get hacked.

singhkhushwant@hotmail.com

The writer is a former state information commissioner and co-founder of NGO Punjab Lit Foundation. Views expressed are personal.