“Breaks my heart”: Ex Manipur CM Biren Singh warns of drug menace in state

Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has raised urgent alarm over the resurgence of poppy cultivation across the state's hill districts, warning that drug cartels have exploited the security vacuum following ethnic violence to dramatically expand illegal operations.

Singh said the northeastern state, once praised for its natural beauty and cultural heritage, has transformed into a critical node for narcotics trafficking as the notorious Golden Triangle's influence extends deeper into Indian territory. He warned that this shift poses severe threats to India's youth and social stability.

"It breaks my heart to see my state Manipur, a land of strength, fall into the grip of drugs," Singh stated in a social media post on September 2, highlighting what he described as the gravity of the situation.

According to Singh, the BJP-led government had previously launched an aggressive "War on Drugs" campaign that showed significant promise, with large-scale destruction of poppy fields and successful prosecution of offenders creating hope among residents. The initiative had generated widespread awareness and deterred many involved in the illegal trade, he noted.

However, Singh claimed the situation deteriorated sharply after violence erupted on May 3, 2023, between the Meitei and Kuki communities. He said that with security forces redirected to manage ethnic tensions, enforcement of anti-drug operations weakened considerably, creating opportunities that cartels quickly seized.

Singh pointed to recent photographic evidence from villages in Kangpokpi and Ukhrul districts, including areas like Challengbung, Chingphei, Sangkai, and Yoleng, which he said reveals the alarming scale of renewed poppy cultivation operations across forest regions adjacent to these communities.

The former chief minister emphasised the need for immediate action, calling on authorities to "confront this menace with an iron hand" and urging national media to conduct ground surveys to expose the full extent of the crisis to the world.

Singh stressed that "the problem must be uprooted before it consumes all of us," noting that "Manipur cannot be left to fight this battle alone." He called for collective action to prevent the drug menace from undermining the nation's goal of achieving what he termed "Nasha Mukt Bharat" (drug-free India).