Discussion on drug trade, VAW, AFSPA
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 02 2013 :
A discussion on 'Drug Trade, Crimes against Women and AFSPA, 1958' was held today at Manipur Press Club in connection with the observance of International Fortnight Protesting Violence against Women.
Speaking at the occasion, Secretary of WAD, Sobita Mangsatabam noted that the society is in the verge of collapsed.
The issue of drugs trade has hogged the limelight since 1980 and people of the State reel under the shadow of AFSPA for a long time now.
Maintaining that the AFSPA 1958 is a threat to the development of human resources Sobita, said that it would be right to repeal the Act so as to check crimes against women and children.
Saying that armed personnel deployed are involved in illegal drug smuggling, Sobita furthered underlined the need to repeal the AFSPA.
She cautioned the people to remain alert over the alleged attempt to claim the natural resources of the land by rotting the human resource of the State.
Dr RK Lenin Singh of RIMS Hospital said that the increased presence of psychiatric disorder among the people of the State is a growing concern.
He said drug abuse and violence against women are closely related.
The time for spreading awareness by various organisations on drug abuse is already ripen.
There have been cases of women losing their chastity under the influence of abusive drugs and there have been cases of commission of crimes against women under the influence of drugs, Dr Lenin said.
Secretary of UNM-M, U Nobokishore stressed on the need to snap drugs smuggling route to the State besides checking the use and abuse of the drugs.
He rued that unlike other States there has not been any plan from the Govt to check smuggling of drugs in the State which in turn put the people in peril.
He said that drug trade is similar to AFSPA.
As such, he urged the people to join hands in fighting the menace.
The programme was amongst others attended by Secretary of New Life Foundation, L Pishak and secretary of Community Network for Empowerment, RK Nilakanta.
The discussion programme was jointly organised by Women Action for Development (WAD), Centre for Social Development (CSD), United NGOs Mission-Manipur (UNM-M) and People's Platform Secretariat (PPS) .