NPP Nagaland calls for ‘war against drugs and tobacco’

June 11, 2022 59 Views No Comment

DIMAPUR, JUNE 11 (MExN): The National People’s Party (NPP), Nagaland has called for a “war against drugs and tobacco” in line with the ongoing war against drugs in neighbouring states of Assam and Manipur “so that our next generation can breathe in an air of freedom from drugs.”

A press release from the NPP expressed concern at the rising cases of drugs and tobacco addiction, especially among youngsters in Nagaland.

“Nagaland has become a haven for drug peddlers and addicts similar to the erstwhile Punjab, which was once considered the drug capital of India. Many youths have either ruined their lives or are on the verge of complete addiction due to this menace which has remained unchecked for many years despite numerous concerns by NGOs and other forums including the Kripa Foundation and the Federation of Indian NGOs for Prevention of Drugs Abuse – Nagaland Chapter,” the NPP stated.

It informed that according to the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) report, India is one of the major hubs for illicit drug trade. Though drug abuse prevails across India, the north-east region has rampant linkages with the global narcotics industry, the party noted. It said that ever since the international crackdown on the Golden Triangle in the late 1980s, a huge chunk of narcotics leaves Nagaland everyday “unchecked and right under the nose of the authorities.”

“Today, Manipur and Nagaland are not only transit points for narcotics but a source and destination. As a result, in Nagaland and Manipur hundreds and thousands of innocent school and college students are being victimized on a daily basis by these unscrupulous drug-lords,” it noted with concern.

The NPP said that drugs like opium, brown sugar, heroin, cannabis and others are brought into Nagaland from Myanmar via the national highways and further transported to other parts of India. According to a report by the SP, Narcotics, the main drug trafficking routes pass through Manipur, Nagaland and Assam. There are well-established cartels, especially in Dimapur which are run and managed by a network of influential and powerful people who are well protected, the party alleged.

With regard to tobacco usage, the NPP said that despite the initiatives taken by various village, colony and ward councils, there is little respite in the supply and sale of these products. “The most alarming matter is that most of the tobacco users are young students and teenagers which have far-reaching detrimental effects on their physical as well as mental health,” it said.

“Do we blame the authorities concerned, the manufacturers and the peddlers or the addicts? Who are those individuals and organizations who are rampantly carrying out this heinous chain of drug supply under the guise of a Christian majority state?” the NPP questioned.

The party said that many unscrupulous elements have made Nagaland their hub for peddling drugs and tobacco products, namely contraband ganja (marijuana), heroin, brown sugar, opium, sunflower, yaba, to name a few. Though the police, acting on various tip-offs and inputs, are able to put some of the petty peddlers behind bars, the party lamented that “there is no action taken against the main masterminds and kingpins behind the drugs racket despite concrete and sufficient evidences against these kingpins they are able to escape the clutches of the law as they have multifarious connections.”

It urged the State Government and its agencies including the State Police and Narcotics Department to be more vigilant by not turning a blind eye to this growing menace.

The NPP worried that the day is not far when Nagaland will become the next drug capital of the country if the government, the police, the civil organizations, the church bodies and the common people do not open their eyes to this menace.

“The colonies, wards and villages of various districts should devise their own strategies for curbing such illegal activities by setting up local vigilance committees to check criminal activities including drug peddling in and around their local areas and also by promptly tipping off the police and local authorities about any suspicious activities,” it suggested.

The NPP further called for setting up CCTV cameras at all vantage locations and regular monitoring and proper maintenance or upkeep of the same by the authorities. It also asked the State Government to conduct regular awareness camps in all the districts.

Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/npp-nagaland-calls-for-war-against-drugs-and-tobacco