‘This cannot be Assam’s fight alone’: Himanta Biswa Sarma seeks coordinated national push against drugs

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on August 30 said the fight against drugs must be pursued as a coordinated national effort, with states and the Centre working together to dismantle narcotics networks.

Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on the need for a drug-free India during his latest Mann Ki Baat address, Sarma said Assam's campaign against narcotics had been sustained since 2021 under the banner of #AssamAgainstDrugs.

According to Sarma, narcotics worth more than Rs 3,253 crore have been seized in Assam since the campaign began, while more than 26,500 people have been arrested in connection with the drug trade.

He said the number of arrests rose from 4,175 in 2021 to 4,901 in 2025, arguing that the campaign had evolved into a sustained enforcement effort rather than a short-term crackdown.

Sarma also pointed to the recent destruction of seized contraband worth more than ₹472 crore in Nalbari, saying the exercise demonstrated that confiscated drugs would not find their way back into Assamese homes.

The chief minister said Assam's geographical position makes it particularly vulnerable to the narcotics trade. Drugs originating in Myanmar are often routed through neighbouring Mizoram and Manipur before being transported to other parts of the country, he said.

He stressed that the scale and cross-border nature of the trade meant Assam could not tackle the problem on its own. According to Sarma, greater coordination with the Centre, improved intelligence sharing, surveillance along inter-state borders and the use of technology have helped law enforcement agencies intercept drug consignments.

Sarma said Assam Police and other agencies had been working as part of a broader national effort rather than operating in isolation.

Referring to the Centre's Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan, he said the initiative's planned 100 weeks of grassroots engagement among young people would complement enforcement measures by focusing on prevention and awareness.

"The fight will not pause," Sarma said, adding that every drug seizure represented a family protected and a future secured.

He said Assam would continue working with the Centre to dismantle narcotics networks operating across state and international borders and prevent young people from falling prey to drug addiction.