Menace of illegal immigrants, poppy plantations
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: November 25, 2024 -

IT needs no reminding that influx from across the Myanmar border, facilitation of illegal immigrants by their kindred tribes find permanent settlement and poppy plantations in remote regions of the state's hill districts continue to give sleepless nights to the administration besides posing serious threat to existence of the indigenous communities.

Among the elected people's representatives, chief minister N Biren has been most vocal about preventing assimilation of these illegal immigrants and launching crackdown on poppy planters.

However, his resolute stand to curb infiltration and poppy plantations seems to be evoking lukewarm response from the central authorities and his ministerial colleagues if one takes note of the fact that the latter have been plotting to unseat Biren from the top post rather than lending support to his endeavour for thwarting the socio-ethnic menace while central forces seldom carry out destruction of poppy plantations on their own.

Responding to media queries on the sidelines of the swearing-in ceremony of the Manipur High Court chief justice on Friday, CM Biren shared his thoughts on genesis and steps taken to resolve the unrest situation besieging the state, according top priority to check cross-border infiltrations.

By declaring that his government will work with the Centre to take necessary measures to identify illegal immigrants and prevent them from engaging in any activities detrimental to the nation, one could conveniently discern helplessness of the state government without the backing of the central leaderships in overcoming the dual challenges.

Prior to outbreak of the Kuki-Meetei conflict there were semblances about his government's campaign against drug smuggling and poppy plantation reaping fruit as security forces were able to periodically scythe poppy farms in different parts of the hill districts.

In fact, the campaign had been evoking positive response from the hill population with, village chiefs pledging to prohibit poppy plantations in areas under their respective jurisdictions and the government extending financial and material support to poppy-planting villages find alternative means of livelihood.

However, the recent incident of state forces and Liangmai village volunteers confronted by armed elements and Kuki villagers during a joint drive against poppy plantation underscores that certain communities are averse to the idea of saving the future generations from the menace of drugs, but have firm resolve to protect the poppy plantations.

The audacity of the poppy planters in manhandling the police personnel also corroborate the suspicion that proceeds from sale of the opium or drug trades could be fuelling the on-going crisis in the state through funding the purchase of weaponries.

Recovery of sophisticated weapons, including a rocket-propelled grenade launcher from the 10 militants recently gunned down by the CRPF troopers after an encounter in a village under Jiribam district also rung out the message that Kuki militants have either sufficient financial resources or logistic support.

As such, regardless of the setback suffered by the joint team of state forces and Liangmai village volunteers in destroying poppy plantations nearby Makhan village in Kangpokpi district, the government needs to galvanise all available resources in scything poppy plants as and when there is confirmation about such unauthorised activities.

Moreover, as the chief minister had been citing illegal immigrations and drug smuggling as some of the factors for the on-going strife in the state no efforts should be spared in destroying the poppy plantations, and if possible, enforce its policy of denying benefits of government schemes/projects to villages under whose jurisdictions poppies are found growing.