The Kotkhai shame

Bhanu P Lohumi in Shimla

Kotkhai is a sleepy village near Shimla, in the lap of apple orchards. Each year around this time farmers prepare for the harvest as corporate procurement firms descend on Kotkhai. Everybody — farmers, hardy Nepalese farmhands, and companies — make the most of it. July 4, however, came with a rude shock: A school-going teenager was reported missing. Two days later her body was found in a forest. And a day later, the postmortem confirmed rape and murder. 

Kotkhai erupted as videos of the murdered girl went viral. The pictures of the alleged accused were circulated widely. Many people suspected involvement of Nepalese workers. The expectations of brisk apple trade were taken over by fears of a breakage in the age-old ties between Nepalese labourers and apple growers. “The apple season will peak by July-end and protests would adversely affect small-time vegetable and fruits growers,” said Ashok, a commission agent. 

Then something unimaginable happened: A week after the teenager vanished, photos of some suspects were uploaded on the Facebook page of the Chief Minister, but were deleted within minutes. A few days later the police claimed a breakthrough saying six suspects have been arrested. The police said one of the accused was a drug addict.

The flashpoint came when an accused was killed in police lock-up. A mob cordoned off the police station and people spilled out all over — from the road, to the forest office above the police station to the under construction building in the vicinity of the police station. The stone-throwing mob attacked the cops and torched the police station. A policeman sustained serious head injuries.

For old residents of Shimla, like Indira Verma, the gruesome episode laid bare the ugliest side: the spectre of drug addiction among the youth. “Dev Bhhomi thi yeh humari, drugs ne sab barbad kar diya (this was our god’s land, drugs have ruined it).”

Her views find support in former DGP of Himachal ID Bhandari. “Various studies point out that at least 20% of crime is attributed to drug addicts. With Baddi emerging as pharmaceutical hub, the manufacturing of opium-based and synthetic drugs has increased,” says Bhandari. 

“The new drugs are reaching Himachal unchecked,” says another Shimla resident, Satish Hemta. “I have daughters, and today we feel scared to send them to study and work,” he said. Prajwal Busta, the youngest chairperson of Jubbal-Kotkhai panchayat Samiti, said: “Many youngsters with academic and professional degrees but without jobs are driven to drugs and crime.”

The situation has come to such a pass that drug de-addiction centres functional in government regional and zonal hospitals are inadequate to cope with a rising number of addicts. A dozen such centres are run by individuals at Amb, Una, Solan, Theog, Shimla, Karsog, Mandi and Kullu.

“The success rate in these centres is less than 5%”, says Vikram Kuthiala who runs a de-addiction centre New Life Foundation on the outskirts of Shimla.

On the one hand there are poor orchardists with small land holdings and on the other, the drug mafia. According to the economic survey 2016-17, the number of unemployed youth in the state with a population of about 69 lakh is well above 8 lakh.

Drugs and unemployment are a statewide problem. Cultivation of cannabis and poppy is widespread in the region. Cases registered under NDPS in the state have shot up from 513 in 2012 to 573 in the first six months of 2017. The year 2016 was exceptional, when 929 cases were registered as the government cracked down on the drug mafia. But 2016 exposed another fact: in certain areas, local people engaged in drug trade openly opposed the anti-drug drive. 

The prosperity caused by the apple has come with a price. Unlike the earlier generation which worked hard to raise orchards, the present generation no longer actively engages in farm activities, and instead, depends solely on Nepalese labourers. 

Even those earning lakhs from orchards have taken up government jobs. “The new educated lot is not keen to take up jobs and wants to enjoy a lavish lifestyle of which drugs and alcohol have become an essential component,” says an orchardist.

The ruling Congress and the opposition BJP are equally to blame for the lack of employment opportunities. The state has witnessed a change of government with every election since 1990. The two parties have been ruling it in turns, but making little effort to encourage modern IT parks, agro-based units and other industries in the hinterland. The industrial package granted by the Centre has not helped as industries which came up in the border areas have employed migrant labourers. Backdoor recruitment of favourites in government jobs has further added to the frustration among the youth.

Facing severe flak over the July 4 incident, the police have chalked out a 100-day strategy to curb drug peddling with the involvement of civil society. “We’ll crack down on drug pushers and people involved in cannabis and opium cultivation. We’ll also plug the gaps in inter-state drug smuggling,” says state DGP Somesh Goyal. Watch this space for any worthwhile action.

Action, inaction

July 4: A minor girl is reported missing on her way back from school in Kotkhai (Shimla) 

July 6: Her body was found in a forest in Halila

July 7: Postmortem confirms rape and murder

July 10: Special investigation team constituted 

July 12: Photos of some suspects were uploaded on the CM’s FB page and deleted within minutes

July 13: Police say six suspects arrested

July 14: State govt decides to hand over the case to CBI

July 19: Suraj, an accused, was allegedly killed by another accused, Rajender alias Raju in police lockup

July 19: A mob torches Kotkhai police station, vehicles and people block roads at Theog

July 19: HC asks CBI to probe both the rape case and custodial death of the accused

July 19: SIT members,  including IG Southern Range, SP Shimla and Additional SP Shimla, shifted

July 20: Opposition BJP calls for Shimla bandh