In Kashmir, a young teacher’s relentless campaign turned a village of more than 200 households into a tobacco-free zone and saved its youth from drug addiction, earning praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
It has been a year since Mohammad Yousuf Padder quit smoking after 35 years. He has experienced positive changes in his health and daily life. He breathes with ease, walks longer distances without exhaustion, and no longer struggles with a persistent cough. He happily tells everyone that quitting smoking is one of the best decisions he has ever made.
Padder is not alone. According to him and other villagers, more than 90 percent of smokers in their village, Sheikhgund, have quit over the past year. The village, which has over 200 households, is nestled amid apple orchards in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
At the entrance to the village, signboards fixed on shop walls and trees welcome visitors with a clear message: “Welcome to a tobacco-free village.” The message further reads: “All forms of tobacco use, sale, storage, distribution, promotion, and sponsorship are strictly prohibited.” Banners hanging across the village declare, “We do not sell or smoke cigarettes or tobacco. Zero tolerance for substance abuse.”
These are not symbolic messages. Walk through the village, and you will see no one smoking openly. Shopkeepers do not stock cigarettes or other tobacco products.
At a time when smoking-related cancer cases are rising and many smokers struggle to quit, the villagers of Sheikhgund have set a different example. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco kills more than 7 million people each year, including an estimated 1.6 million non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke. In India alone, 1.35 million people die annually due to smoking, yet the quit rate remains as low as 7 percent.
The villagers of Sheikhgund credit a young teacher and social activist, Mir Jafar, for making their village tobacco-free and steering its youth away from drug-addiction. “It was a youth-led anti-smoking movement started by Mr. Jafar that made our village a smoking free zone,” said the 58-year-old Padder. “He would visit my home often and counsel me about the health risks of smoking and the financial burden it brings.”
The idea to run a campaign against smoking and drug abuse took shape in November 2024, when Jafar noticed that youth in his village and adjacent areas were involved in drug abuse, and the situation had become alarming. He approached the local police station to obtain permission to organise a drug awareness camp, especially for the youth. There, he came to know how deeply the drug-trafficking network had taken root in his village and how easily drugs reached people, even school-going children.
While Jafar was stunned by the extensive drug-trafficking network, he was also concerned about rising cancer cases in Kashmir, which were mostly linked to smoking, chewing tobacco, and drug use.
It was a long fight ahead for Jafar, but he decided to pursue it relentlessly. “I decided to fight against smoking,” said the 36-year-old Jafar. “I thought if I could fight against smoking in my own village, it would automatically work against drug abuse as well.” He believed that if he could save his village from such evils, the change could gradually expand to other villages as well.
He began with shopkeepers. He invited them to his home, served tea, and explained the health risks of tobacco and its impact on future generations. He urged them to stop selling cigarettes and related products. “All shopkeepers agreed in the larger interest of society,” Jafar told DNN24.
Next, he turned to the mosques. For consecutive Fridays, he addressed worshippers during Friday prayers. He spoke about rising cancer cases, the financial strain of tobacco use, and how smoking often becomes the first step toward drug addiction. Jafar then went door-to-door to counsel known smokers. “I counselled them patiently, explained the harmful effects, and motivated them to quit,” said Jafar. With consistent efforts, his campaign gradually gained momentum.
Jafar’s neighbour, Irshaad Ahmad Malik, quit smoking three months ago. He said that when the anti-smoking campaign gathered momentum in his village, he felt ashamed to smoke in public and began hiding the habit. Soon, even smoking at home became uncomfortable as his family, especially his twin children studying in Class 7, started questioning him.
“My children would often calculate how much I spent each day on cigarettes and how much I could save if I quit,” Malik told DNN24. “I used to feel shame.” Malik believes the anti-smoking message has gone deep into minds of his fellow villagers.
Another young resident, 25-year-old Suhaib Manzoor, used to spend ₹150 a day on cigarettes. He often smoked in hiding and later regretted the money he wasted. “Jafar sir counselled me consistently and patiently about my smoking habit,” Manzoor said. “Now I see the positive impact of quitting, and I am thankful to him.”
Jafar admits the journey was not easy. “Some people used to speak against me behind my back. A few even smoked deliberately in public to challenge me,” he said. “But I stayed firm.” He said he had seen young boys fall into drug addiction and did not want the same future for his village. Alongside the mass quitting of smoking, the villagers also say that the drug problem that once worried them has completely disappeared.
“At present, you cannot find anyone smoking here openly,” said Jafar. “Earlier, people—even young ones—used to smoke openly on roadsides. Now, even outsiders visiting the village also refrain from smoking in public.”
The campaign soon drew national attention when, on 25 January last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted Sheikhgund’s efforts in the 132nd episode of Mann Ki Baat. He praised the community led movement against drugs and tobacco and commended Jafar for mobilising both youth and elders. “When the strength of society comes together, even the toughest challenges can be overcome,” Modi said during the broadcast.
The recognition led to administrative action in Shangus Tehsil, where Sheikhgund falls. On 2 February 2026, the Block Medical Officer of Shangus ordered a ban on smoking in all health institutions in the area. On 6 February 2026, the Tehsildar of Shangus imposed an immediate ban on smoking in public places within his jurisdiction and directed police to take strict action against violators. The orders stated that strict enforcement was necessary to safeguard public health and ensure a clean and healthy environment.
Now, Jafar plans to take the campaign to neighbouring villages. He has formally registered an organisation, Social Reform Movement Kashmir, to expand the initiative. The movement was inaugurated on 14 February 2025 by the then Deputy Commissioner of Anantnag, Syed Fakhruddin Hamid, who congratulated the villagers for their collective effort. The organisation includes six core members, along with volunteers and an advisory wing of experts.
“In the coming months, we will organise programmes in schools, colleges, and public spaces to spread awareness about the impact of smoking and drug use,” said Jafar. “Our aim is to protect the next generation from drugs and tobacco.”
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