In Punjab, the highway to 2027

Parvinder Singh Jhota was an anti-drug activist in Punjab. He was shot dead in broad daylight in Mansa town on October 13. His death has become a rallying point for people opposing drug addiction. The protest also shows how his work has moved from one activist’s campaign to a wider public cause.

A stretch of road in Tikoni has become a pucca morcha, or permanent sit-in protest. Giant hoardings call Jhota a martyr. They ask people not simply to mourn him, but to protect his ideals and carry forward his fight against drugs. Barricades and signboards mark the protest area, while a steady crowd gathers there.

A fortnight after the shooting, Jhota’s last rites had still not been held. Elderly people and young people, women and men, continue arriving at the site. Traffic diversions have been introduced, but the crowd’s presence signals that protesters intend to remain for the long haul. The protest keeps public attention on Punjab’s drug crisis.

A pucca morcha means a permanent or long-term sit-in protest. It is more than a brief gathering. People establish a fixed place where they can remain visible, organise supporters, and press for attention. In Tikoni, the protest keeps the anti-drug cause in public view after Jhota’s death.

The road has been marked by barricades, signboards, and giant hoardings. These hoardings declare Jhota a martyr and urge people not to mourn passively. Instead, they ask people to protect his ideals and continue the fight against drugs. The site therefore works both as a protest ground and as a symbolic memorial.

A steady crowd still arrives, including elderly and young people, women and men. Traffic police have created diversions around the area. The continuing turnout shows the protest is intended to last. Its permanence also ensures that Jhota’s death remains linked to Punjab’s long-running struggle with drug addiction.

The article places Punjab’s drug problem over a period of more than two decades. That duration matters because it shows the crisis is persistent, not a short-lived emergency. Long-running addiction can affect families, health, livelihoods, and public life, making prevention and treatment ongoing needs.

The article does not provide a total number of people using drugs, people receiving treatment, or communities affected. It instead shows the issue through the protest in Mansa. The crowd includes elderly and young people, women and men. Their presence suggests wide concern across age and gender groups, but it cannot be converted into a precise measure of the addiction problem.

The current reality is therefore serious but not numerically defined in the supplied text. Punjab continues to face drug addiction, while the Tikoni protest keeps the issue visible. Better assessment would require reliable data on use, dependence, treatment access, and recovery. Those figures are not stated in this article.

The protest is not limited to one age group or gender. The article describes elderly and young people, women and men arriving at the site. Their participation gives the morcha a broad public character. It shows that opposition to drug addiction has become a shared concern around Jhota’s death.

The protesters are asking people to do more than mourn. Giant hoardings call Jhota a martyr and urge the public to protect his ideals. They also call for the fight against drugs to be carried forward. The mechanism is public continuity: regular attendance and visible messages keep his cause active after his killing.

The crowd continues to arrive at the pucca morcha in Tikoni, despite barricades and traffic diversions. The article says their resolve to stay for the long haul is clear. That continuing presence may keep pressure and attention focused on drugs in Punjab, although the article does not state any specific demands, policy programme, or official response.

The sit-in has changed daily life in Mansa’s Tikoni area. A stretch of road has become a permanent protest ground, with barricades, signboards, and large hoardings. Traffic police have responded by setting up diversions. This means the protest has a direct effect on movement through the town, not just on public debate.

The most striking consequence concerns Jhota’s funeral. A fortnight after he was shot dead, his last rites had still not been held. The road protest and the unresolved funeral are presented together, showing how strongly the movement remains tied to his death. Supporters are choosing continued mobilisation over simply closing the episode with mourning.

The crowd keeps arriving despite the practical disruption. Elderly and young people, women and men, continue gathering at the site. The article describes their intention to stay for the long haul. It does not state when the diversions will end or when the last rites will take place, so those consequences remain unresolved.

The supplied article establishes that Punjab has battled drug addiction for more than two decades, but it does not explain the historical causes of that vulnerability. It gives no account of trafficking routes, border conditions, local economies, policing, or treatment systems. Those omissions matter because addiction usually develops through several connected pressures rather than one simple cause.

From established wider context, Punjab’s location near international borders has made it vulnerable to trafficking networks moving drugs across the region. Availability can increase exposure, while poverty, unemployment, social stress, and weak access to treatment can deepen dependence. These factors are general background, not details reported in this article, and they should not be treated as evidence about any particular person or community.

The article’s present focus is the public response in Mansa. Jhota’s killing has prompted a permanent sit-in, and supporters are demanding continued attention to drugs. Understanding Punjab’s longer crisis would require evidence about supply, use, health harms, enforcement, and recovery. The article provides none of those measurements.

Drug addiction, also called substance use disorder, is a health condition involving repeated drug use, loss of control, and continued use despite harm. It can affect health, relationships, work, and safety. Addiction is not simply a matter of weak will. It can become a persistent condition that requires support and care.

Drugs can strongly stimulate the brain’s reward system. With repeated use, the brain and body may adapt, creating tolerance and withdrawal symptoms when the drug is reduced or stopped. Cravings and withdrawal can make quitting difficult. Treatment may combine medical care, counselling, family support, and help with housing or work, depending on the person’s needs.

Prevention can reduce early exposure and improve awareness, while accessible treatment can help people stop using safely. Recovery is often long term and may include setbacks, continuing support, and protection from relapse. The article does not describe addiction medically, but Punjab’s more-than-two-decade crisis and the protest show why sustained action matters.