Barry L. Kharmalki from the Drug Users Forum has appealed to society not to resort to force and muscle power when handling drug users but find solutions to bring about a change.
Speaking to Highland Post after a photograph of a drug user accused of theft was tied and tortured in the city, Kharmalki said, “Addiction is not a sin but a disease that is treatable. This will take time for people to understand as such harsh attitude towards drug users remain the same.”
“I think people should stop playing God and the law has to deal strongly with the people involved in such cruel act towards another human being which is also a violation of human rights,” he added.
Kharmalki said if people resort to public shaming and assault instead of showing and guiding drug users to a better path, time may come that users will also retaliate to such exploitations like in other countries and places.
He informed that they have communicated with the DSP crime who has assured to follow up the case and promise that the culprits will be booked.
With regards to the general perception of the people that most drug users are involved in theft cases he said, “If this is the perception towards the users, then it means that all the people who committed fraud and corruption in government and religious institutions are drug users. I feel that this generalising problem is dominant in our society.”
Stating that there will always be rotten fruits in a basket and the same is the case with some of the users, he said that he can guarantee that there is only about 5-10 per cent of such drug users who commits theft to buy drugs, but it would be incorrect to generalize the remaining 90-95 per cent.
He underlined that criminalising drug users should stop immediately because it is a disease that can be treated and not a crime.
Meanwhile, Kharmalki pointed out that there’s a need for free rehabilitation and detoxification centres in the state for the users.
Stating said that that the various promises made by the government of India to come up with free rehabilitation centres, free detoxification, etc remain unfulfilled, he said, “The Meghalaya drug policy 2017 that was also approved by the cabinet where they are supposed to set up free detoxification and rehabilitation centres are like empty frames without any facilities. The Civil hospital Shillong that says it gives free detoxification for users does not even have ample medical supplies for the users. We still lack facilities and it is not easy for the users to get rid of the habit easily without the facilities and holistic approach.”
