Himachal Forum for Peace and Harmony Slams “Communal Overtone” in Shimla’s Republic Day Play on Drug Menace, Demands Accountability
Himachal Forum for Peace and Harmony calls the narrative “factually incorrect” and “socially dangerous,” warns it diverts attention from the real drug mafia.
A prominent civil society group has raised a serious objection to a street play performed at the state-level Republic Day function here, alleging it injected a communal narrative into the fight against drugs—an issue they describe as a purely criminal enterprise.
The Himachal Forum for Peace and Harmony, in a strongly-worded press release issued today, expressed deep concern over a nukkad natak (street play) on chitta (drug menace) presented during the official celebrations attended by the Governor, Chief Minister, senior ministers, and top officials.
The Forum stated that introducing a communal angle during the solemn constitutional occasion of Republic Day was “not only inappropriate but contrary to the spirit of the Constitution,” which celebrates secularism, justice, and equality.
“Drugs Have No Religion, Crime Does,” Says Dr Kuldip Singh Tanwar, Convenor of the Forum.
Challenging the play’s implied narrative, the release argued, “The problem of chitta and drug abuse is neither class-based, caste-based, gender-based, regional, community-based, nor religion-based. It is a highly organized, profit-driven criminal enterprise, fuelled by greed and sustained by systemic failures and a lack of strong political will.”
The Forum warned that such portrayals are “factually incorrect, socially dangerous, and constitutionally wrong.” They risk stigmatizing entire communities, diverting public attention from the real culprits—the drug syndicates, their financial networks, and their enablers within the system—and ultimately weakening the state’s cherished social harmony.
A Warning Against Political Polarization
Highlighting Himachal Pradesh’s long history of peaceful coexistence and minimal communal strife, the Forum suggested that attempts to inject such narratives appear to be a “deliberate design of certain political outfits aimed at dividing society and polarizing public opinion for narrow political gains.”
Four-Point Demand for Government Action
In light of these concerns, the Forum has put forth a four-point demand to the state government:
- An immediate clarification on how and why such content was included in the official programme.
- Fixing accountability by identifying officials who approved and scripted the performance.
- Corrective action to ensure constitutional events are not misused for divisive messaging.
- Issuance of a strong advisory to all government and cultural bodies to prevent communal overtones in future programs.
Call for Unity and Decisive Action
The statement concluded by asserting that the fight against drugs requires “unity, evidence-based policy, strict law enforcement, and political will—not communalization.” While offering support for sincere government efforts, the Forum called for moving beyond “tokenistic, high-decibel awareness campaigns” to implement a “comprehensive, actionable, and result-oriented strategy to dismantle the drug network at its roots.”
The ball is now in the state government’s court to respond to these allegations and demands, which touch upon sensitive issues of social cohesion and governance.
