"Well done Kangpokpi Police, CRPF, & District administration for carrying out the poppy destruction drive near Makhan village, Saitu Sub-division, Kangpokpi district today," Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh tweeted.
He also wrote: "Despite recent resistance by Kuki militants, the team successfully destroyed 12 acres of illegal poppy cultivation today. Let it be clear to those attempting to exploit the situation to expand poppy cultivation: the state and central governments are closely monitoring their activities....".
He maintained that the authorities and law enforcement agencies "remain unwavering in our commitment to eradicate every last poppy plant".
An FIR has been lodged at Sapermeina Police Station to identify the cultivators and ensure strict action, he stated.
In November 2023, reports from Manipur said, due to the rough terrain and bad road, the vehicles could not climb the hill but the joint team including that of Assam Rifles and 6th Manipur Rifles had to carry grass cutter, sprayer, drinking water and other necessary equipment.
With just a few gypsy and manpower at their disposal, the district administrations managed the herculean task in carrying out destruction of poppy cultivation at Ukhrul and Kamjong Districts.
The destruction of poppy cultivation in the Mapithel Hill Range in 2023 continued for three-four days.
The efforts are to ensure destruction of poppy cultivation this is part of the Manipur government’s drive on “War On Drugs”.
Sources say, several warnings were given to the villagers not to cultivate poppy, but this practices is going on at a very large scale in some hill ranges.
However, the drug business and drug abuse have overlapping issues and at times not grasped in totality.
Multiple sources in the know of things suggest that closer scrutiny of the drug smuggling industry vis-a-vis northeast India is required.
It is suggested that while drugs of third/fourth quality are marketed and 'abused' in Manipur and other northeastern states; the 'high quality stuff' is marketed in big cities and metros.
"This is a fast evolving and growing industry....there are deep pockets in big Indian cities where a new thing called rave parties etc are now practiced quite frequently. Hence there are demands for it," a source said.
This argument explains why the Narcotics Department and other agencies time to time frequently conduct "raids" on these types of gatherings in various cities.
In 2023 prior to the start of unprecedented clashes between Kukis and Meiteis; the Biren Singh Ministry had launched an eviction drive against Kuki tribals, which began in February 2023.
The state government much to the chagrin of the tribal population declared the forest dwellers as encroachers.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh's Facebook page carried a message:
"These are the people who are destroying our generation.They are destroying our natural forests to plant poppy, and further igniting communal issues to carry out the drug smuggling business. 16 KG OF OPIUM SEIZED IN CHURACHANDPUR". The district is a Kuki stronghold but named after the Meitei King Churachand Singh."
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