Published on: September 8, 2013

Narcotics Act: We bow our heads in shame.

We thought this would be a day on which we could give some good news, the day on which we could announce to the world, “India did it; we amended the Draconican NDPS Act!”. But it was not to be. Yesterday we heard that the Parliament session had been extended by this one day, during which we hoped the pending bills would get passed, including the amendment of the narcotic regulations of India. But it was not to be. The morning brought in the news that the Parliament had adjourned sine die.

We do not know if there will be one more session of the Parliament during the term of the current Government. If not, the pending bills become null and void. We have to start all over again.

All officials of Revenue Department of Government of India, those legislators who showed an interest, Tripti Tandon and all at Lawyers’ Collective, all at PPSG, WHO and Human Rights Watch and many others, the palliative care community of India thank you for your support.

On behalf of all Indians temporarily in health, we apologise to the millions in pain in this country and their families for our arrogance of health and quote J. Hinton, “We emerge deserving of little credit; we who are capable of ignoring the conditions which make muted people suffer.”