Punjab: “If someone uses chitta once, how likely is they to become addicted?” “Can a habitual drug user quit the next day if they have the willpower?” These are just two of the many questions that are part of the general knowledge test conducted by the Punjab School Education Board on September 12 for students in grades 9 to 12. This unusual questionnaire, part of the state’s anti-drug campaign “Yuddh Nashiyan Viruddh,” has since sparked controversy. Many government teachers believe the questionnaire is inappropriate for such young children, while others believe it is a legitimate effort to raise awareness in society. Daljit Singh Samrala, joint secretary of the Democratic Teachers Front (DTF), Punjab’s largest government teachers’ union, called the exercise a “political stunt.” He said, “We already raise awareness about social evils like drug addiction, dowry, unemployment, and crime.
Why focus so much on ‘chitta’ (heroin)? A parent complained to us that his daughter, who is in the ninth grade, has started asking about this drug.” Another school teacher, Gurpreet Singh, said, “Adolescence is a vulnerable period. People who didn’t even know about drugs are now discussing it with their peers. We should act responsibly before asking such questions,” Gurpreet Singh said. However, Education Minister Harjot Bains told The Tribune that hundreds of teachers were consulted and the topic discussed in depth before including the drug-related question in the questionnaire. Bains argued, “Instead of running away from the drug problem, society needs to accept that it is a major problem and we should make our children aware of it early on.” He also reported that T-shirts featuring Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann were distributed to raise awareness about the drug problem. However, some teachers stated that the purpose of this exercise was to prevent and caution students against drug use.
Punjab: Questions on chitta spark debate, curiosity grows
