State's reputation at stake as drug menace looms
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: March 16, 2023 -

DUE to hard work and resilience by sport-spersons and cultural artistes or exponents, Manipur has been able to carve a niche for itself in these two fields but the state’s reputation seems to be badly tarnished as there has been no respite from the drug menace, especially after the drug problem figured in the parliamentary debate.

For the last many years, successive governments had been battling with the issue of substance abuse and drug smuggling in the state but with insignificant rate of success in the campaign as could be comprehended from security forces seizing different types of psychotropic drugs almost on a daily basis and busting drug manufacturing units.

With even elected people’s representatives and security personnel arrested with drugs or suspected to be involved in illegal drug business, it’s obvious that effectively tackling the menace would be an uphill task, regardless of the concerned stakeholders and the masses extending moral support to the government’s relentless efforts to eradicate the problem of drugs and its associated malaises in the society.

Having witnessed and experienced effects of drug abuse and peddling for decades, every sane citizen is eager to see an end to the drug problem in the state.

That the government authorities haven’t been able to address the problem could be comprehended from Union MoS for home affairs Nityanand Rai informing the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that seizure of drugs, especially those based on opium and cannabis, is increasing in Manipur.

It is also a cause for serious concern that the drug business continues to thrive despite various steps reportedly taken up to tackle drug smuggling in Manipur.

Quoting latest data published by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the Union minister said in a written reply that 3076.312 kg of opium based drugs, 168.151 kg of cannabis based drugs and 42,892.601 kg of psychotropic substances were seized in Manipur in 2019, whereas in 2020 the seizures included 3709.098 kg of opium based drugs, 111.785 kg of cannabis based drugs and 131.785 kg of psychotropic substances.

The disturbing trend continued in the year 2021 as 75,900.66 kg of opium based drugs, 826.599 kg of cannabis based drugs and 176.782 kg of psychotropic substances were seized, that too when the government of Manipur launched intense campaign to prevent proliferation of narcotic drugs in the state.

According to MoS Nityanand Rai, BSF, SSB and Assam Rifles have been empowered under the Narcotics Drugs & Psychotropic Substances (ND&PS) Act for making interdiction of narcotic drugs, and detailed vulnerability mapping has been carried out along the border to strengthen surveillance by deploying additional Special Surveillance Equipment and other available resources in the vulnerable patches.

In-spite of the centre’s assistance, as stated by the Union MoS, and provision of requisite equipment to prevent drug smuggling, the increase in the quantities of drugs seized in the three-year period leaves ample room to suspect diligence and efficiency of the law enforcement personnel to effectively tackle the menace.

As such, it could be safely stated that unless those working at the field level have firm resolve to win the ‘war on drugs’, the drug problem and threat posed to the future generations of the society would only get aggravated.