 Early Times Report
JAMMU, May 19: In a significant cultural initiative aimed at combating the growing menace of drug abuse, Natrang in collaboration with Jammu & Kashmir Police today staged Padma Shri Balwant Thakur's hard-hitting Hindi play "AAG" at Bahu Plaza, Jammu. The play was directed by noted theatre director Neeraj Kant.
The event was attended by DIG Jammu-Samba-Kathua Range Shridhar Patil, SP South Vaibhav Meena, DSP East Dr. Sachit Sharma, SDPO North Vikram Singh Bhau, SHO Trikuta Nagar Sushil Choudhary, Arun Gupta President Chambers of Commerce, members of Bahu Plaza association along with Padma Shri Balwant Thakur, Director Natrang, and a large gathering of enthusiastic spectators.
Addressing the audience on the occasion, DIG Shridhar Patil called upon society to transform the fight against drugs into a people's movement. He emphasized that the drug menace is not merely a law-and-order issue but a serious social and humanitarian challenge threatening the future of the younger generation.
Speaking passionately about the need for collective responsibility, DIG Patil said:
"Drugs destroy not only individuals but entire families and communities. The youth are the strength, energy and future of our nation, and if they fall prey to addiction, society as a whole suffers. Jammu & Kashmir Police has launched sustained campaigns against narcotics, but lasting success can come only when every citizen becomes an active stakeholder in this mission."
He further appealed to parents, teachers, social organizations, artists, and youth groups to join hands in creating awareness and resisting the spread of narcotics.
"Awareness is our strongest weapon. Theatre, literature and art possess immense emotional power to influence minds and inspire change. Natrang has performed a remarkable service by presenting this issue so effectively through the medium of theatre. The brilliant performances by the artists emotionally connected with the audience and vividly exposed the horrifying consequences of drug addiction."
DIG Patil expressed hope that such initiatives would strengthen the ongoing anti-drug campaign launched under the leadership of the Hon'ble Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir and help transform the Union Territory into a drug-free society.
The play "AAG" presents a deeply disturbing yet realistic portrayal of how drug addiction is silently consuming society like a destructive fire. Rather than following a single linear storyline, the playwright creatively interweaves multiple narratives highlighting the devastating social, emotional and economic consequences of drug and alcohol abuse.
One sequence portrays a young student entering college life and struggling with peer pressure. Isolated and mocked for staying away from intoxicants, the boy eventually succumbs to drugs merely to prove his adulthood and social acceptance. |
