Not even King of God could tackle narcotics menace without alleviating poverty

In the wake of a simmering controversy over UPFA constituent, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) demanding the arrest of Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne over his alleged links with a Pakistani heroin smuggler the National Freedom Front (NFF) has urged President Mahinda Rajapaksa to hang those sentenced to death for narcotic offences.

Addressing a public gathering at Slave Island after declaring open a newly renovated housing scheme, Minister Wimal Weerawansa, the leader of NFF, another UPFA constituent, emphasised that the implementation of the death penalty would be necessary to curb the heroin menace. Recalling measures taken by the government to curtail heroin trade, Minister Weerawansa said that the implementation of the death penalty would help reduce the drug menace. Although a section of the international community would decry resumption of judicial executions and accuse the government of human rights violations, the society couldn’t be saved from heroin unless drastic measures were taken, the minister said.

Minister Weerawansa was speaking a day after President Mahinda Rajapaksa directed IGP N.K. Illangakoon to crack down on drug dealers.

The NFF leader alleged that due to failure on the part of successive governments to implement the law, those engaged in the heroin trade had gone scot free. The minister explained how major heroin dealers got their minions to go to jail where they received a continuous supply of heroin.

Weerawansa said that the ongoing projects aimed at gradually moving slum dwellers to housing schemes would be of pivotal importance in the government’s campaign against narcotics. The change of environment too, would help save the young generation from heroin, the minister said.

Minister Weerawansa alleged that major heroin dealers would try to thwart government plans to improve living conditions in the city and its suburbs by mobilising residents.

Heroin dealers would fund protests against development plans as they realised that they would lose when people changed their lifestyles.

The minister warned against a deliberate attempt to inspire large scale protests in accordance with their strategy to cause chaos.

Not even Sakkaraya [King of Gods] could tackle the heroin menace unless the government did away with shanties in the city and its suburbs regardless of opposition.

The NFF leader alleged that a section of the media, too, had been funded by those engaged in the narcotics trade to undermine the ongoing city beautification project. (By Shamindra Ferdinando)

Source: The Island (Sri Lanka)