Socio-ethnic impact of anti-poppy drive
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: February 14, 2023 -
ALL Manipur United Clubs' Organisation president Ph Nando Luwang's observation that the war on drugs campaign might lead to unwanted situation in the state can't be dismissed as presumptuous, taking into account of the fact that at-least three people have been arrested so far for investing in poppy cultivation and possibility of many other funders holding grudge for decimation of poppy plants.
As there is remote chance of the poppy crop investors targeting the law enforcement agencies to avenge for the damage caused, plotting socio-ethnic tension and violence in retaliation against the government's campaign could be explored by these anti-social elements.
Since launch of the campaign till date, several hectares of poppy fields have been destroyed in almost all the Hill districts, villagers arrested for growing poppies and over 10 village chiefs served summons for ignoring previous warning that the village authorities and chiefs would be held accountable in case poppy plantations continue in areas under their respective jurisdiction.
While it needs no reminding that the economically unsound villagers settling in remote hilly regions wouldn't have the resources to start poppy cultivation, it is obvious that they are receiving financial or material assistance as well as in marketing the opium yield.
Without prior assurance or agreement for purchase of the opium and extend monetary assistance, it is unlikely that the villagers would toil to cut down the trees and clear the vegetation to pave the way for growing poppy for there are many who are well aware that unrestrained destruction caused to the natural forests would be imperious.
As such, the arrest of only three people on the charge of funding poppy cultivation underscores presence of individuals who take undue advantage of the villagers' economic despair and push them into poppy cultivation.
No doubt, the villagers couldn't play the innocence card for they could have categorically rejected any enticement and instead sustained livelihood through legitimate means, especially as the government has been offering to help them in case they abandon poppy farming.
While those arrested impoverished villagers are paying a heavy price for defying the government's clarion call and are most likely to languish in jails unlike some drug peddlers who have the resource to secure freedom after few months of imprisonment, what the government should worry about is that the poppy investors would not remain idle when he/she has suffered huge financial loss.
Therefore, the government must intensify the anti-drugs campaign and ensure that the law enforcement agencies face no obstacles in carrying out investigation for exposing the poppy funders, including possible pseudo-public figures and nailing the prime culprits would be the best option left to neutralise the threat, if any, from desperate anti-social elements to create socio-ethnic upheaval in the state.
The government cannot undermine the fact that it is not only the extensive poppy plantations in the hills that has the potential to create sharp divisions in the society but the massive destruction caused to the forests and its consequent effect of shortage of water which is creating tension and root cause for triggering hate comments on the social media.
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