International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 26 June
Every year on June 26 a worldwide day is celebrated under UNO with the title: "International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking". The day is a commemoration of the efforts of Lin Zexu, a Chinese Scholar and official that paved the way for expeditions against the growing production of opium in different provinces of China. In recognition of these efforts, UNO celebrates the day every year on June 26 like 2015. Drug abuse and its illicit trafficking has been a matter of growing concern worldwide. It was estimated in the year 2007 that more than US$322 billion is involved in drug trafficking industry. Today, considering the inflation and accounting for all other considerations, we may safely assume that the drug trafficking industry must be around 400$ Billion a year.
Looking at the gloom caused by these drugs, one is frozen with shock and the only question arises to mind: are these humans? Are those involved in drug trafficking worth calling man? If they are humans indeed, which they cannot be, where does today's so called civilized man stand? What ways are there to share the gloom of these shadows of woes and troubles? We need to provide them comfort and protection. I have seen different rehabilitation centers relieving the woes of troubled drug addicts. There are NGOs too, publishing literature and creating a drug evading environment.
There are law enforcing agencies operating against the demons of lust and greed; smugglers of drugs.
We have all these seemingly noble deeds and coats to put on our so called "pride of civilization". I remember Shelley being called "an ineffectual angel fanning his wings in wane"; do we have a similar situation prevalent in our beloved world? Are all our acts ending in vain?
The looted and plundered drug addicted not only looks pale and abandoned. Doesn't he seem to be calling the invisible to intervene into the affairs of the world and stop them from being farther persecuted? The humans, us, need to awake from the slumber we have forced ourselves into. While watching how lions prey upon a buffalo, I realized that lions remain united against their victim while the buffaloes, so many in numbers, find it best to run away while one amongst them is in trouble. The powerful horns of buffaloes would whirl away the lions dreading their sharp horns.
The same situation prevails in the world, we are constantly getting preyed but we are happy to have escaped the catastrophe because it did not fall on us; someone else became a victim. Later, we have none crocodile tears; the life moves on mocking on our hypocritical attitudes and roles.
