HP CM Sukhu Brings Anti-Drug Walkathon to Mandi on Nov 13
Synopsis
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has announced a mass anti-drug walkathon in Mandi on 13 November at Paddal Ground, extending Himachal Pradesh's sequential district-level campaign against 'chitte' to a sixth district after Shimla, Bilaspur, Dharamshala, Hamirpur and Una.
Key Takeaways
CM Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced on 11 November 2026 that Mandi district will host the next anti-drug walkathon.
The event is scheduled for 13 November at Paddal Ground, Mandi .
Mandi becomes the sixth district in the sequential campaign, after Shimla, Bilaspur, Dharamshala, Hamirpur and Una.
The walkathon specifically targets 'chitte' — street slang for heroin — through mass citizen mobilisation.
The phased rollout is designed to build grassroots opposition to narcotics across geographically diverse districts of Himachal Pradesh.
Six districts. One relentless march against 'chitte'. Mandi is next in line — and Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is making it personal, announcing on Wednesday, 11 November 2026 that the anti-drug walkathon campaign, already a fixture in five Himachal districts, arrives at Paddal Ground, Mandi on 13 November.
Posting from the Chief Minister's Office of Himachal Pradesh's official X account, CM Sukhu declared: 'Yeh Walkathon chitte ke khilaf jan-jan ki lalkar hai' — 'This Walkathon is a people's challenge against chitte.' The word 'chitte' — street slang for heroin — has become synonymous with the state's most urgent narcotics crisis, and the government's decision to name it directly in an official campaign post signals both the gravity of the problem and the administration's intent to meet it head-on.
Five Districts Down, Mandi Makes Six
The sequential campaign has already swept through Shimla, Bilaspur, Dharamshala, Hamirpur and Una — covering a broad geographic arc from the state capital to the foothills. Each walkathon is designed as a mass-mobilisation event, pulling citizens into a public show of collective resistance against substance abuse. The phased rollout is deliberate: planting the campaign in a new district means a new local conversation, new community leaders pulled into the fold, new families who may feel, for the first time, that the state is showing up for them. Mandi's addition is significant. As a central Himachal district with strong rural connectivity and a dense youth population, it extends the campaign's reach well beyond the more urbanised or border districts covered earlier.Paddal Ground on 13 November
Paddal Ground — a well-known open venue in Mandi town — is the designated site. The choice of an open public ground reinforces the campaign's grassroots character: this is not a conference room announcement but a street-level summons. CM Sukhu's direct signature on the post, naming himself at the close, frames the walkathon as a personal political and moral commitment — not a bureaucratic exercise. The broader pattern under the current government has been to use visible, repeated public action to signal seriousness on narcotics — a sharp contrast to the tendency of previous administrations to treat drug policy as a law-enforcement matter alone. Walkathons conscript ordinary citizens as participants, not just observers. With six districts now covered and more potentially on the horizon, the question at Paddal Ground on Friday will be a simple one: how many people show up — and whether that number keeps growing district by district.Point of View
A central district with strong rural reach, the campaign moves beyond its earlier concentration in border or capital-adjacent areas, suggesting a more comprehensive strategic ambition. The direct naming of 'chitte' in official communications is itself a political signal: transparency about the specific substance normalises the conversation and strips away the stigma that often prevents families from seeking help. Whether the momentum translates into measurable policy outcomes — treatment infrastructure, enforcement results — will determine whether the walkathons are remembered as genuine intervention or high-visibility symbolism.
NationPress
11 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Himachal Pradesh anti-drug walkathon campaign?
It is a state government-organised series of district-level public marches in Himachal Pradesh aimed at mobilising citizens against drug abuse, particularly the use of 'chitte' (heroin). The campaign has been rolled out sequentially across multiple districts under Chief Minister Sukhu.
When and where is the Mandi walkathon?
The Mandi walkathon is scheduled for 13 November 2026 at Paddal Ground in Mandi town, Himachal Pradesh.
Which districts have already hosted the anti-drug walkathon in Himachal Pradesh?
Five districts have hosted the walkathon before Mandi: Shimla, Bilaspur, Dharamshala, Hamirpur and Una .
What is 'chitte' in the context of Himachal Pradesh's drug problem?
'Chitte' is local slang for heroin and has become a shorthand for the broader narcotics crisis in Himachal Pradesh. The state government has explicitly named it in official campaign communications.
Who announced the Mandi walkathon?
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced it via the official Chief Minister's Office of Himachal Pradesh X account on 11 November 2026.
