SRINAGAR, Jan 3: The District Administration of Srinagar organized a high-impact “Orientation-cum-Capacity-Building Workshop” for over 100 prominent religious scholars and Masjid Imams today at the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS).
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Anshul Garg, who served as the chief guest, proposed a strategic three-stage approach—comprising awareness campaigns, victim identification, and professional counseling—to systematically curb the surge in substance use.
Garg urged religious leaders to utilize Friday sermons as a platform to sensitize the youth, emphasizing that drug consumption is a grave social evil prohibited by all faiths and destructive to the community’s fabric.Guest of Honour and Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Akshay Labroo, reinforced the need for collective social action, noting that while the government is tightening enforcement to break supply chains, the moral authority of religious scholars is crucial for early intervention and reducing stigma.
The workshop, attended by medical experts and civil society members, focused on the administration’s rehabilitation policy, which prioritizes reintegrating victims with their families through Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATFs).
By bridging the gap between clinical expertise and community leadership, the initiative aims to transform awareness into a grassroots movement for a drug-free Srinagar.
