Mandi/Shimla: The much-publicised anti-drug campaign of the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government saw a major on-ground action on Wednesday, but it has also exposed uncomfortable questions about how deep the rot runs in Himachal’s interiors.
Acting on specific inputs, the Special Task Force (STF) cracked down on illegal opium cultivation in Silsulhati village of Kataula sub-tehsil in Mandi district — part of the Drang constituency represented by senior Congress leader Kaul Singh Thakur, who has recently been openly critical of the Sukhu government.
The STF team raided private land and discovered opium poppy cultivation spread across nearly four bighas — roughly 10 fields. What they found was staggering: over 1.38 lakh poppy plants flourishing in plain sight. The entire crop was destroyed on the spot.
A case under the NDPS Act has been registered at Padhar police station, and investigations are underway to identify those involved.
Quoting the official spokesperson of the Himachal Pradesh Police, the action was described as “a focused and intelligence-driven operation under the ongoing ‘Chitta-Mukt Himachal’ campaign to curb illegal narcotics cultivation and dismantle supply chains at the grassroots level.” The spokesperson added that “such coordinated drives will continue across districts to ensure strict enforcement of the law and to prevent recurrence of illegal activities.”
The operation is part of the state-wide “Chitta-Mukt Himachal” campaign launched on November 15, 2025, aimed at curbing drug abuse and illegal narcotics networks.
But the scale of this seizure raises troubling questions. How did such a massive illegal crop grow undetected in a politically sensitive constituency? Was it administrative oversight, local complicity, or simply a failure of ground intelligence until now?
The timing is equally striking. The crackdown comes amid visible political friction within the ruling Congress, with Kaul Singh Thakur recently raising a banner of dissent against the Sukhu leadership. Whether this is coincidence or carries political undertones is a question being quietly asked in local circles.
While officials insist the action is purely law enforcement-driven, the episode underlines a larger concern — that the drug menace in Himachal is no longer confined to urban “chitta” abuse but is now seeping into rural belts as well.
Police have urged citizens, especially youth, to share any information related to drugs through helpline 112 or nearby police stations, assuring complete confidentiality.
The government may claim momentum, but the ground reality suggests the fight against drugs is far from over — and perhaps far more entrenched than the narrative admits.
