The death of a 22-year-old in Punjab’s Moga following a decade-long battle with drug addiction has put their village in the spotlight, especially after his mother lamented the ease of access of drugs at the grassroots.
He revealed that Jaskaran’s addiction was so bad that he sold everything in the house, even his mother’s clothes, to fund his addiction. Police have not confirmed that drug use caused Jaskaran’s death. Chitta is the local name for heroin in Punjab. His parents say they borrowed money for his treatment, sending him to a private de-addiction centre for six months, but he relapsed after returning home. We took loans and spent thousands on his treatment.
Jaskaran Singh, a resident of the Jalalabad village in the Dharamkot area, died on September 21. “My son was addicted to chitta for 10 years.
Holding a picture of her son Jaskaran Singh in her hands, his mother said, “Chitta is available in the village like sugar. He stayed at a de-addiction centre for six months, but relapsed after coming home,” his father Sikander Singh said. Dharamkot SHO Jitender Singh said the exact cause of death is yet to be established and will be known after the post-mortem examination.
Community Calls for Action Against Drug Supply
Jaskaran, an elder brother, has reportedly succumbed to drug addiction, allegedly using injectable substances and spending his daily-wage earnings on them. His family is now raising concerns that several other young men in their village are similarly ensnared by drugs.
His mother expressed her anguish, stating, “My son is gone, but 10 to 12 other young men are also trapped in drugs. I don’t want another mother to lose her son.” The family is urging local authorities to take action against those believed to be supplying drugs in their area, emphasizing the need for an investigation into how the drug trade continues to thrive in their community.
“In the end, we had nothing left to sell and no money to take him to the hospital.
We had to ask others for help,” he said.
