Shimla: While the police struggle to enforce the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotic Substance (NDPS) Act in the state, photographer Amit Kanwar today trapped on camera this unknown man at work at Kufta Dhar near Shimla, rubbing marijuana leaves to extract the resin for making ‘dope’ or ‘charas’.
Marijuana plants grow in abundance in the wild in the state, which the authorities find hard to uproot or chemically destroy but the crop used to be cultivated traditionally in many parts of Kullu valley and elsewhere for making shoes and ropes from hemp extracted from the plant.
With Kullu valley attaining notoriety as a major producer of contraband ‘charas’, especially the famed high altitude “Malana Cream’ brand, police have been making yearly inspections of the suspected cultivation belts and involving local assistance in uprooting standing crops of cannabis.
Photo credit: Amit Kanwar
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
Journalism of courage, something started happening here…
I commend the photographer as well as Mr. Ravinder for ringing bells and bringing focus towards much hyped Charas Udao Abhiyan by Government being rubbed liked this ..!
Good Shot Amit !
So what you guys think ?? Police doesn’t know all this? CRAP!! they know every hide abouts and place where this and all is happening. Unless government is taking some serious steps, nthing will happen. But why Govt. will do that …. cash coming in na….!!!
Dear Dinesh,
No body knows who is getting what or how things happen ..basically no one individually likes to take action ..be it some officer or some regular police jawan , may be subconsciously they also feel that news will be forgotten by everyone after two days…or the offender may be released without proper evidence..or legal manipulations…but the person being prosecuted or caught will become an enemy for lifetime..
what harm has cannabis done any of you….. but your happy to spend are tax money to beat it and put the people in prison… this plant has kept them alive for thousands of years and provided alot of there needs and money to live… so thats right get out there and lock up the man for rubbing that plant cut it dont, let his children and wife die…. who is the wrong in this… is it even your country?? learn something about what your talking about then juge the people that do it…. look at the facts not what the goverment tells u…. its all money and its all theres in there eyes… and i suppose all the people here beating on about cannabis thinks its ok to drink alcohol the No; 2 un-naturel killer smoking No;1 but never a proven death for cannabis use…. get a life and mind your own and let the people doing no harm go free… we know the world has a drug problem but we are wasting time on the wrong drug….
Seconded. there is NO proof of a single death caused due to cannabis. Not a single sadhu has died, not a single death in any record across any cultural background. And yet, alcohol is legal.
Coincidentally, taxed. Wow. how does that work out again? alcohol is taxed, so that people can get drunk and drive on the roads that tax money helped build. Nobody writes about that. Why? Because it kills to use your own damn brain.Normal people fail to see the hypocrisy their government throws on them. They don’t see they’re being lied to on a global level. Start questioning your government, start questioning if you’re really free.