As Dussehra celebrations unfolded across Punjab’s Jalandhar district, the police introduced a symbolic fourth effigy, representing the “Demon of Drugs,” alongside the traditional figures of Ravana, Meghnad, and Kumbhakarna. The move aims to leverage the festival’s cultural resonance—the triumph of good over evil—to highlight the state’s resolute fight against drug addiction and trafficking. Tens of thousands of residents attending celebrations at major venues witnessed this unique gesture, reinforcing public awareness of Punjab’s ongoing war against drugs.
A Cultural Symbol Turned Public Awareness Campaign
The fourth effigy was installed at prominent Dussehra venues, including Ladowali Road, Adarsh Nagar, and Burlton Park ground, as part of over 44 celebration sites across the city. Senior police officials, including the Commissioner of Police, addressed the crowds, framing the burning of the effigy as a call for collective responsibility. The visual and emotional symbolism of destroying the “Demon of Drugs” transforms a traditional religious festival into a mass campaign against the state’s most pressing contemporary social evil. Authorities hope that this integration of public ritual and civic messaging will inspire communities to take an active stance against addiction and criminal networks profiting from narcotics.
Ongoing Crackdown and Strategic Anti-Drug Initiatives
This initiative coincides with an intensified crackdown on drug-related crime in Punjab. Police have been actively enforcing the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, making numerous arrests, and demolishing properties reportedly built using drug money. By incorporating the “Demon of Drugs” into Dussehra rituals, authorities aim to create a sustained public narrative against narcotics, promoting the concept of a “Nasha Mukt Punjab” (Drug-Free Punjab). The act of burning the effigy is intended to resonate beyond the festival, symbolically and practically galvanising citizens to reject drug use and assist law enforcement in dismantling trafficking networks.
