Make it more than a pleasure trip
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: May 20, 2013 -
Tablet covers filled up 1 km long canal at Lokchao River (in Moreh) :: Pix - Hueiyen Lanpao
As they say pictures don’t lie, the photograph of the 1-km long Canal of Lokchao River filling up with covers of tablets shows how serious is the business of illicit drug trafficking has become in Manipur today, and if the State Government is going to remain just giving lip service on curbing the menace of drugs, which has taken Manipuri society into its grip for so long, then the people themselves would need to do something urgently about it right away.
While the confirmation on the presence of Pseudoephedrine extraction units in Moreh along the porous international boundary with Myanmar has explained why there has been spurt in interception and seizure of huge quantities of illicit drugs enroute to the border town for onward transit to Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries, the report that these extraction units are being operated by some militant groups having close links with Indian security forces should not come as a surprising to the people.
Because illicit drug trafficking is not a simple job that any Tom, Harry or Dick can think of indulging. One needs to have connection at high places and strong backing in drug trade.
So, to expect that the Government agencies, which have remained conveniently sleeping over the problem for the last many years regardless of public outcry, would actually be doing something concrete this time is like hoping against the hope.
Even though the involvement and subsequent arrest of an Indian Army Colonel or some State police commandos in drug cases may have turned the focus of the people to the problem of drug trafficking every now and then, how Manipur has remained the hot spot and main transit route of drugs, for smuggling out heroin from the infamous Golden Triangle earlier and now for trafficking of synthetic drugs manufactured in other parts of the country into Myanmar and beyond is a fact none could deny.
Synthetic drugs with Pseudoephedrine contains are in such high demand for manufacturing more deadly party drugs like ‘World is Yours’ in Myanmar today that drug lords in other parts of India are willing to pay huge amount of money to ‘anyone’ who can help in ferrying the Pseudoephedrine tablet consignments into Myanmar safely.
But this ‘anyone’ could never be any man or woman on the street but some influential people feared by the Government agencies.
That is why; a strong and sustain public movement is urgently required for making Manipur a drug free society. This movement should not be confined to the district headquarters alone but spread out to every nook and corner of the State.
However, to save the people from the trouble of launching much a movement, the State Government could very well step in if it is really serious about the problem of drugs.
In fact, the upcoming visit of a 40-member delegation to be led by Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh should be utilized as a golden opportunity to raise the issue of cross-border drug trafficking with Myanmarese authorities as well rather than considering it a pleasure trip with family members.
That would only convince the people how serious the State Government is on the issue of drugs.
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