A majority of residents of the men’s hostel at the Government Polytechnic College, Kalamassery, from where the Kochi City police seized nearly two kg of suspected ganja during an overnight raid last week, is yet to fully cooperate with ‘We Can’, an anti-drugs campaign on the campus.

The campaign, which was launched six months ago at the instance of Principal Aiju Thomas, has been further intensified since the raid. Less than 10 out of the 60-odd hostel residents took an anti-narcotics oath that was being administered to students over the past couple of days as part of the campaign.

“The reluctance is natural considering the prevailing air of confusion following the raid, not to mention the element of fear. The last two days’ campaign was also organised at short notice. Besides, the academic year is about to end, and the students might be busy returning home. The campaign is likely to be effective when the new academic year starts,” said Mr. Thomas.

Incidentally, almost all residents, except two, who participated in the campaign are members of the National Cadet Corps, which has been at the forefront of the campaign. Mostly, final-year students among hostel residents have struck a discordant note, said Bineesh Kumar, NCC officer at the college.

Also, while most students appear to be aware of the use of drugs on the campus, they were reluctant to report it fearing potential repercussions. They also seem apathetic to the issue as if it did not affect them. However, that seems to be changing gradually. The two cases of suspected use of ganja on the campus, which were reported by students, had been referred to the in-campus college counsellor, said Mr. Kumar.

The college has also identified at least eight unauthorised entry points, suspected to be routes for smuggling in drugs into the campus. Some of those entries have been created by students over the years by bringing down portions of the compound wall, and they largely remain hidden away from public eye by overgrown shrubs. Steps are being taken to seal those entry points.

Meanwhile, plans are also afoot to organise continuous programmes as part of the campaign in association with enforcement agencies like the Excise on the campus.