Bangladeshi migrants pushing drug paddling in Arunachal is a national security issue

An awareness meeting on drug and gambling menace was organized at Rani village under Sille-Oyan circle on Tuesday by local Self Help Groups of Rani village i. e. Ane Bodum Raseng and Sun Raising Raseng in collaboration with  Women Against Social Evils (WASE) and Tax, Excise & Narcotic department, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh.

The speakers from Rani village’s SHG and other village members informed in the meeting that, drug menace in the village and the area is growing day by day with several youths falling prey it. They also informed that gambling like Housie is also widely played in which several women are also involved.

Villagers, including SHGs, have urged the concerned department and the police to take action to combat the drug and gambling menace in the area. According to  villagers, the number of drug edicts in the village is increasing each day, and the situation is posing a serious threat to the village and surrounding area's peace and tranquillity.

WASE President Yamik Dulom Darang and Secretary Joya Tasung Moyong remarked on the sidelines of the drug and gambling menace conference that like-minded village women should organise an anti-drug committee along the lines of WASE to combat the growing drug scourge. Drug paddlers from Assam use Arunachal's drug edicts to sell their drugs in Arunachal villages and towns such as Rani, Sille-Oyan, Pasighat, Mebo, and even far-flung towns like Aalo in West Siang and Yingkiong in Upper Siang district, according to Yamik and Joya.

Both WASE leaders who have been fighting against the drug menace in the district from all these years have also raised a serious concern over supplies of Drugs in Arunachal Pradesh from neighbouring Assam’s Jonai and Leku-Jhelum areas.

Both WASE leaders have also urged the Chief Ministers of Arunachal and Assam to crack down the illegal Bangladeshi settlers along Assam-Arunachal boundary who are mainly involved in drug paddling in the region. “We have a confirmed detail that these Bangladeshi migrants both living in Assam near Arunachal and some parts of Arunachal are primely involved in spreading the drug addictions among the youths of Arunachal Pradesh with an agenda to destroy the state by destroying the youths as they can’t directly wage war with tribal Arunachalees to grab the lands of Arunachal to settle here. It is a national security issue and central government also needs to pay heed into the matter at the earliest possible and deport the Bangladeshi migrants out from Arunachal and Assam”, added WASE President and Secretary.

While Tanon Tatak, Dy. Commissioner Tax, Excise & Narcotic in his speech termed the growing drug menace in the area as national and international concern. The Tax, Excise & Narcotic and police department alone  can’t curb out and tackle the drug menace in the area and Tatak requested the state government to impart required trainings to the police personnel  and narcotic department to specifically deal with the drug menace in the society.

In the meeting, the members from SHGs, All Rani Students’ Union, Rani Baane Kebang, WASE and Narcotics and police jointly committed to form an Anti Drugs Committee and the committee assured to start working on fighting against the drug and gambling menace onwards.