Thamarassery mosque committees take hardline approach to drug abuse

IN A powerful show of community resolve, mosque committees in Thamarassery, a usually quiet and tightly-knit region of Kozhikode district, have drawn a line: Anyone caught dealing or abusing drugs will be cast out, socially and spiritually.

- POOJA NAIR @Kozhikode

The move comes as the region reels from a spate of violent crimes linked to drug abuse. Two chilling murders—one in which a young man, P Ashik, allegedly hacked his mother to death in Puthupady, and the other in which Yasir allegedly murdered his wife Shibila in Eengappuzha—were the final straw. Both crimes, police said, were rooted in drug abuse.

"This is no longer just about individual cases, it's about protecting the very fabric of our society. We can't allow drug culture to destroy families and community values," said a committee member who wished to remain anonymous.