Addict to activist, he fights on relentlessly
BALJINDER SINGH, 40
Gurusar Jodha, Muktsar district
Last week, Baljinder wrote an open letter to Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh to remind him about the oath he took before the assembly elections in February 2017 to wipe out drugs in four weeks.
Also known as Mintu Gursaria, Baljinder was hooked to drugs for 18 years till 2011 but kicked the habit after a lot of struggle. He faced 12 criminal cases for which he was jailed. He admits it’s not been easy to gain the trust of society. Today, his challenge is convincing people, particularly the elderly who are still fearful of drug addicts.
“Anger management while on course to quit drugs was the biggest challenge. For a person like me who also had a criminal history and was short-tempered, I had to control the criminal inside me. Apne andar de badmash nu marna painda,” he says. “Getting a job was another hurdle. Nobody offers work to drug addicts due to lack of trust,” he adds. Once a kabaddi player, Mintu says he took to drugs when he was at a senior secondary school in Malout.
Today, he is an activist campaigning against drugs and has written two books, including an autobiography called ‘Dakuaan Da Munda’, which is being made into a Punjabi film to be released next month. He has contributed articles to vernacular newspapers and Punjabi radio stations abroad.
He uses social media to run his campaign. Mintu Gurusaria’s Facebook page has about 47,000 followers.
Virtually addicted to the war against drugs, he says he is often trolled for his past but it doesn’t affect his present.