ADFM seeks support of all to 'War on Drugs' campaign
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, May 02 2022:
Kyamgei Mamang Leikai-based Alliance for Drug Free Manipur (ADFM), which is a civil society organisation with a mission to build a drug free Manipur, has appealed to the people of the state to lend support and cooperation in realising the objectives of War on Drugs 2.0 campaign initiated by state government for achieving drug-free Manipur.
In a release, the Alliance declared that it will launch a campaign amongst the youth of the state to strengthen their willpower to fight the temptation of becoming a drug user.
It said Manipur sits on western corner of Myanmar's (Burma) infamous Golden Triangle, one of the two largest opium producing regions in the world.
Ever since January 2002, when six countries - Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and China - set up the 'Joint Special Task Unit 2002' to coordinate in the fight against drug trafficking, Manipur has become a transit route of drug trafficking originating from the Golden Triangle.
More alarmingly the Burmese drug lords started encouraging tribal farmers of Manipur to plant poppy since that time, it noted, adding that in-spite of the situation become alarming, successive governments failed to take decisive actions because of reasons best known to them.
Further stating that "ultimately a rebel-drug lord-officialdom nexus was allowed to emerge in India's Northeast because of long neglect," the Alliance recounted that the government of Manipur launch ed a campaign against drugs with "War on Drugs" on November 3, 2018 .
It was then only that the security forces were able to seize large quantities of drugs and bust several brown sugar factories.
The new BJP government has also intensified the campaign with "War on Drugs 2.0" and a day after the formation of the new government, an Anti-Narcotics Task Force ANTF) was formed under an IGP rank police officer.
The drug peddlers were also warned to surrender or face dire consequences, it added.
However, it is unfortunate that some persons and individuals are making attempts to paint this massive effort of the government in poor light and thus trying to weaken the War on Drugs 2.0 campaign.
"The need of the hour is the unflinching support to 'war on drugs' campaign in the state and convert it to a mass movement to root out drug menace from the state taking advantage of the pro-active approach of the government", ADFM stressed.