Bathinda rally: Women urged to take lead in anti-drug movement
Bathinda — Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Member of Parliament Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Saturday appealed to women across Punjab to unite and launch an ‘andolan’ to rid the state of the drug menace, saying community action must supplement official efforts to curb trafficking and addiction.
Addressing a gathering at the Maawan-Dheeyan Insaaf rally in Bathinda, Badal urged women to adopt neighbourhood vigil measures modelled on traditional community policing and vowed that the SAD would push for stricter punishment and denial of bail to drug traffickers if it formed the next government in the state.
“The time has come to take things in our own hands if we are to save our sons and the coming generation,” Badal said, according to the report.
Badal invoked the farmers’ protests against the Centre’s three farm laws — a defining movement for the Akali leadership — drawing a parallel to the proposed anti-drug struggle. She suggested that women could replicate the collective resolve shown during those protests by organising neighbourhood watches and community patrols.
Community policing and 'thikri pehra'
She specifically recommended the revival and deployment of ‘thikri pehra’ — a traditional practice of community guard duty — in villages, saying it would send a clear message to traffickers and to what she described as an alleged nexus between certain politicians and police under the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
- Advocate mobilisation of women to form local patrols and deterrence groups.
- Demand policy changes including enhanced sentences and restrictions on bail for drug traffickers.
- Hold the AAP government and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann directly accountable for rising addiction, she said.
Badal criticised the state administration’s handling of the drug problem, saying the situation had worsened during AAP rule and raising questions about political responsibility at the highest level. She asked why promises to “put the drug lords behind bars” remained unfulfilled and held the chief minister accountable for perceived failures.
Legal changes proposed by SAD
As part of her election-time pitch, Badal promised that an SAD government would amend laws to impose harsher penalties on traffickers. Specifically, she said bail would be denied for eight years and drug traffickers would face life imprisonment under the party’s proposed changes.
| Proposal | Details |
|---|---|
| Denial of bail | 8 years—no bail for accused traffickers, as proposed |
| Sentence | Life imprisonment for convicted drug traffickers, as proposed |
Badal reiterated that the SAD considers public safety and the grievances of affected families paramount. She also referenced her decision to leave the Union Cabinet earlier in protest against the three farm laws as an example of putting constituents’ concerns above personal office.
Political context and local impact
The appeal comes amid intensifying political campaigns in Punjab ahead of assembly elections, with law-and-order and drugs repeatedly featuring in opposition critiques of the incumbent AAP government. Calls for community action and stricter legal measures are likely to resonate in rural districts where addiction and trafficking have been persistent concerns for families and panchayats.
Community-led patrols such as the suggested thikri pehra have historical precedent in Punjab’s villages, where collective action during emergencies often augments formal policing. However, civil-society advocates caution that such initiatives require clear coordination with local police to avoid vigilantism and ensure legal protections for participants.
Implementing the proposed legal changes — including extended denial of bail and mandatory life terms — would require legislative amendments and careful scrutiny in courts, given constitutional safeguards and precedents on bail and punishment. Any such proposals will likely attract legal debate on proportionality and due process if they are pursued formally.
For many families in Bathinda and neighbouring districts, the immediate demand is for visible reduction in availability of drugs, effective rehabilitation services and accountable policing. Political pledges on tougher sentences and community action are expected to feature in campaigning over the coming weeks as parties press their law-and-order credentials.
Badal framed the issue as one of protecting the next generation and appealed to voters to support measures that, she said, would remove “messengers of death” from Punjab’s streets. The SAD’s proposals add to a growing election-time focus on drugs, public safety and governance that is shaping political discourse across the state.
