The uproar over Urea 'shortage' : Adorning his with Poppy
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: September 04, 2021 -

Not surprising. One was looking to deliver a political point while the others felt that they have been wrongly accused.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh was both wrong and right.

Wrong cause there is just no way to believe that the State Government is diverting the State's quota for poppy plantations and right for it is a given that farmers are not getting the needed quantities of Urea and the shortage can only mean that the State's quota of Urea has been taken somewhere else.

Keeping aside this argument, it is important for the Government to acknowledge that farmers are not getting the needed quantity of Urea and one wonders why this drama should continue to dog Manipur every year at this point of time.

It would help that much more if the Agriculture Minister' stops coming out with bombastic statements that there is no shortage of Urea.

Why would the tillers of the soil raise this shortage cry if there is adequate supply of the same ?

Best thing for the Government would be to acknowledge that something, somewhere is wrong in the supply chain and then rise to the occasion to address the point.

Everyone is tired of hearing the grand statement that there is no shortage and on the other hand the claim that farmers are not receiving Urea.

If the need of the farmers cannot be met at this time of the year then when is the Government going to address this point?

After the crops have been harvested? These are important questions which the Government should seriously look into.

This is not the time for delivering political points or take political mileage out of for Manipur ^depends oh agriculture for her survival.

No 'industry, little means to earn a living and if the Government cannot even ensure something as basic as Urea for agriculture to thrive then something, somewhere is terribly wrong. Hope this reaches the ears of the Chief Minister.

On the other hand, the numerous hill based civil society organisations should not write off the possibility of Urea being used for poppy plantations there.

Anyone who has taken a ride along the hill sides must have seen how large swathes of hills have been tilled and managed for poppy plantations.

The poppy plantations on such a large scale is a reality and denying it would mean trying to fool the people and this is something which cannot blind everyone.

And such a large scale plantation would surely need Urea.

Before going ballistics against Jairam Ramesh of the Congress, it would help if these CSOs take the trouble of studying how such large swathes of hill sides have been tilled for poppy plantations.

Can this question be answered faithfully ? Who owns these plantations ? Or who finance these plantations ?

These are questions which the hill based CSOs must be concerned with instead of going ballistic against the Congress leader.

The State Government too should seriously study whether its slogan 'War on Drugs' has made any progress or not.

In the last three days drugs worth crores have been seized at Assam and all of them originated from Manipur.

The interesting point is, what is the status of all the drug seizures at the neighbouring State.

Shouldn't the State police be holding a press conference on the follow up action?

Let the Government of Manipur decide.