‘Drug and Socio-Economic Census’ | Government publicists, idle people

It is not easy being a teacher conducting Punjab’s first ‘Drug and Socio-Economic Census’. From people who refuse to answer the queries to being shown the door after being labelled ‘wehle lok (idle people’ and ‘sarkari parchaarak (government’s publicists)’, they have to face it all.

While the Aam Aadmi Party-led government launched the census to “know the extent of drug problem” in the state, nearly half the questions in the survey pertain to the welfare schemes such as free power, Tirath Yatra, health insurance, free bus service for women, and Aam Aadmi Clinics among others. This has already invited criticism from the Opposition parties that have alleged that the government is seeking feedback on its schemes in the run up to the Assembly polls due in early 2027 — a charge denied by the ruling dispensation.

“The service and conduct rules for government employees clearly state that we cannot promote or get associated with any political party but here we are taking feedback of people on the AAP government’s schemes. Is this even allowed legally?” asked a teacher from Barnala.

Teachers say the problem starts when they reach the villages that traditionally support Opposition parties such as Congress or Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). A teacher from Moga district said: “We are not treated nicely by the villages that do not support AAP. They say “aa gaye wehle lok” (here come idle people). We are teachers, but losing our respect and dignity”.

Another teacher from Amritsar district said: “Teachers have nothing to do with “partybaaji” (village-level political rivalries) but we are forcibly being made a part of it. Never in my teaching career of 20 years have I seen a government sending teachers door to door to seek feedback on its schemes ahead of elections. People are calling us “sarkaari parchaakar. It feels humiliating. People look at us with suspicion when we seeks details as voter ID, Aadhaar number or WhatsApp number.”

“Families that do not support AAP are not letting us enter the house. One such family said: “eh taan vehlad haige, moo chukk ke aa jaande hai (These are idle people, they just come like that). We were told that the survey will be confidential so that people provide details of drug addicts, suppliers etc but the first question we ask them is their name and WhatsApp number,” said a teacher from Ludhiana district.

“Women teachers are facing several issues. They are facing taunts like “mil gaye nashedi, tuhada kamm padhaana hai, eh thodi hai” (Have you found addicts? Your work is to teach, not this),” said another teacher from Ludhiana.

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Another teacher said that conducting national population Census “is our duty” but the “Drug Census is not any government duty”. “Earlier they asked teachers to volunteer for Drug Census promising Rs 250 per household but now they are imposing mandatory duties seeing low response,” said a teacher.

Teachers say majority families refuse to reveal addiction issue. “We only have to record their response and turn a blind eye to what we see. Even if a person lies intoxicated in front of us, we have to record response as “No” if his family says he is not an addict. What is the authenticity of such an exercise”, asked a teacher from Fazilka.

A primary teacher posted in border district of Tarn Taran said she felt like crying when a familty misbehaved with her. “Another family, who must be Congress supporters, started arguing on several questions which named Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. They said (former CM) Charanjit Channi launched free travel for women and started blaming me for the way questions are framed.”

AAP spokesperson Neel Garg saidm, “The Drug and Socio-Economic Census is not being conducted to promote AAP as a party, but to take feedback of the people on government’s schemes. Punjab has been grappling with drug problem since over two decades now, but we still don’t have exact data on the extent of it. Such questions are being asked for better planning and implementation”.

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Amit Talwar, special secretary, department of rural development and panchayats, and nodal officer for Drug Census, said: “If any enumerator faces any issue on the ground, they can complain to the local deputy commissioner or SDM. The questions being asked are politically neutral, not in the favour of ruling party”.

Sakatar Singh Bal, director, school education (secondary), Punjab, said: “We have only provided our department’s teachers for the Drug Census. If any teacher faces any issue, they can file a complaint with local administration. On political nature of the questions, only those who have framed them can answer.”