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Punjab governor joins walk against drugs in Mukerian, Hoshiarpur next week
In its third year, Khushwant Singh-led People’s Walk Against Drugs focuses on mobilising mothers as the first line of defence against substance abuse.
What began as a solitary act of resolve by author and former information commissioner Khushwant Singh has evolved into one of Punjab’s significant civil society campaigns. The People’s Walk Against Drugs, organised by the Punjab Lit Foundation (PLF), marks its third anniversary on February 23 and 24 with marches in Mukerian and Hoshiarpur.
The Mukerian leg on February 23 will span 2.7km, starting from the tehsil office and ending at Dashmesh College for Girls. On February 24, the Hoshiarpur march will commence at DAV College for Girls, traversing Arya Samaj Road and the Clock Tower before returning to the starting point.
Governor Gulab Chand Kataria will participate on both days. “At 82, after completing his own padyatra just last week in the border districts of Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Fazilka, the governor is ready to walk again for this cause. I must compliment him for giving a boost to the initiative,” Khushwant Singh said on Wednesday.
The governor had undertaken a six-day padyatra in April 2025 too from the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor to Jallianwala Bagh. It followed his involvement in the PLF campaign in December 2024, when he walked nearly 15km over two days starting from the home of centenarian marathoner Fauja Singh.
This year, the campaign has recalibrated its format. Moving away from the long-distance highway marches, the organisers are prioritising community engagement. “Highways are unsafe for large groups, and long distances pose logistical hurdles. The focus now is on creating a public movement. I started alone, but today the narrative belongs to the people,” Khushwant said.
PLF co-founder Sanna Kaushal expects nearly 10,000 participants, including ex-servicemen, traders, and women’s groups, supported by the district administration under the Nasha Mukt Punjab plan.
Under its Mothers Against Drugs campaign, the foundation has already sensitised over 6,000 mothers through school and community outreach, positioning them as the “first line of defence”.
“A mother sensitised is a child saved,” Khushwant said, adding this model has garnered interest from chief minister Bhagwant Mann, who has directed deputy commissioners to explore replicating the framework at the district level.
The PLF will release a dedicated booklet and song during the marches. Sharing his vision of a societal response, Khushwant said: “There should be Mothers Against Drugs, Students Against Drugs, and Doctors Against Drugs—eventually building into a collective Punjab Against Drugs.”
