Though mushroom growth of civil society groups is a good omen for furtherance of the causes of fight against social crimes but unfortunately the civil society groups have virtually gone into hibernation amid unprecedented rise in social crimes. While the police is waging a war against the deadly spread of drug addiction in both Kashmir valley and Jammu division, the civil society groups both in Kashmir valley and Jammu division have reduced their fight against social evils to press statements like political parties. Had the civil society groups come together to launch a joint awareness campaign against drug addiction, the intensity of the drug addiction would have reduced drastically instead of rising unprecedentedly in recent years. Civil Society groups could have created groups of youth volunteers in coordination and cooperation with religious preachers, teachers, scholars of universities and colleges, students of schools, colleges and universities, trade union leaders and Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs). Drug addiction is not the only social crime expanding across the length and breadth in both Kashmir valley and Jammu division but among other social crimes domestic violence rising unprecedentedly more in Kashmir than Jammu division is also posing a grave threat to the social fabric in valley. Last year a huge amount of over Rs1.5 Crore was recovered from the drug addicts in Rajouri district of Jammu province and this is still the record recovery of huge cash from the drug addicts in any district of Jammu & Kashmir. Had the civil society groups created groups of volunteers to fight the menace of drug addiction, the intensity of the spread of drug addiction would have been reduced almost in all the districts of Jammu & Kashmir. Police has established drug de-addiction centres in Srinagar and Jammu but no of the drug addicts showing willingness to report at such drug de-addiction centres is not encouraging. Civil Society Groups could have created the groups of volunteers for increasing the attendance of drug addicts at drug de-addiction centres and some civil society groups could have offered to work in collaboration with the health and medical education department for increasing the no of drug de-addiction centres. Like drug de-addiction the domestic violence against woman is also showing unprecedented rise in Kashmir valley. Last year a woman of a central Kashmir district married in a South Kashmir district died mysteriously at her in laws house which triggered a row but none of the civil groups bothered to pursue the matter with police to know the progress of the investigation and finally it’s final outcome.
Awareness campaigns of the civil society groups against the spread of social crimes in collaboration with religious preachers, teachers, scholars of universities and colleges, students of schools, colleges and universities, trade union leaders and Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) won’t only reduce their intensity but would also prompt the government to enact good laws and amend bad ones.
Such a similar incident was also reported this year which triggered a row and attracted lot of criticism but no one bothered to press for investigation. Recently a youth while travelling on a motor bike hit to death another youth in Kichwari village of Khansahib area of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district but none of the civil society groups bothered to pursue the process of police investigation to known the cause of attack and death of the youth. The social crimes are on rise and social awareness against the social crimes as such demand immediate attention and intervention of civil society groups. It is for the civil society groups to show their concerns by actions to reduce the increasing intensity of social crimes in Jammu & Kashmir. Awareness campaigns of the civil society groups against the spread of social crimes in collaboration with religious preachers, teachers, scholars of universities and colleges, students of schools, colleges and universities, trade union leaders and Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) won’t only reduce their intensity but would also prompt the government to enact good laws and amend bad ones.
