Politics and the War Against Drug
- Imphal Times Editorial :: January 05, 2021 -

When the dust in the wind has been finally brought to settle in the political theatre of N. Biren Singh led government , and when almost all issues that have uproar the people of the state has been amicably settled either by fulfilling or making temporary arrangement, the war against drug declared by him today has become a major issue.

Not because it is losing but because he had acted to make sure that Manipur is a drug free state, without realizing that fact that not every person is happy seeing the Chief Minister’s name growing popular among the people.

It was true that the Chief Minister acts from his sentiment and in most cases, people who are watching his activities closely understand that sometime he acted and order to clean the mess before formulating any adequate policy or by enacting specific legislation.

The people of the state has witness him solving the long pending issues like introduction of the Inner line permits system. People of the state today see reducing of police brutality towards civilians.

Civil Society angers over mismanagement on issue of national importance have been calm down.

And until recently understanding between various CSOs belonging to various communities have been noticed.

The issue of NSCN-IM, where the state witness massive hue and cry over appreciation of losing the Territorial boundary of the erstwhile Kingdom , now a state of India has also been not seen during the last 3 years of N. Biren Singh led government.

People of the state, irrespective of various communities are now happy just because they can directly meet the Chief Minister and expressed their grievances.

Besides, young or old, rich or poor all can communicate with the leader which is running the state as he never remain dull using social networking communication tools.

Now , why so much hue and cry about the issue of drug haul case at which former ADC Chairman of Chandel district along with six others were acquitted by the court even though 2 persons have been convicted.

It is on record, that the Chief Minister N. Biren Singh himself is the one that give power to an officer for conducting raid to the official quarter of the former ADC Chandel at Lamphel.

Everyone was taken by surprise by the judgment of the Special Court of the ND& PS at which two persons who is not capable of earning one lakh in a month could be convicted for seizure of drugs worth Rs. 27 crore.

The issue of this particular was doing well and good with prosecutions trying all its effort to prove that the government machineries are performing their duty well.

For Chief Minister N. Biren Singh he would have certainly think of going to higher court, as the matter is not only suspicious but more an in efficiency of his government machineries.

An issue in that encircled to Additional SP Brinda , with the Court taking up contempt case and the series of events at which she mobilized at Social networking site.

Almost all people stood by her side. The climax of the case was nearly reached with the Addl. SP finally submitting an affidavit which she blasted the alleged nexus between those arrested by her and the Chief Minister.

Wars of word goes viral on social networking site , with CSOs joining in favour of Brinda.

But that the Zou Community too started reacting to the issue. Some other tribal group too started showing their anger to Brinda. How it happen and how is it possible is another matter.

But one have to realize is that the souring relationship between hill and plain people only restored just 3 years back, when Chief Minister N. Biren Singh came to power.

No such hue and cry had ever hard as it happen to a tribal leader when a Meitei leader now holding a top position in the government was accused of smuggling multi crore worth drugs.

The case is even pending now, even as CBI has been investigating over the matter.

War on drug is just not a war of the government and its machineries, it should be a peoples’ war.

And what the people of the state should understand is that in a multi-ethnic state like Manipur where politicians play ethnic politics, CSOs belonging to specific communities should have some trust to the government and left everything to their court.

Or otherwise the N. Biren Singh’s government war against drugs may be forced to put halt due to political necessities.