Manipur’s War on Drugs: Courageous Leadership and the Path Forward

A critical crisis covers Manipur's scenic beauty due to the expanding opium poppy trade, which threatens our state's future by undermining communities, breaking families, and fuelling global narcotics networks. The consequences are huge – addiction has risen, families have been torn apart, forests have been cleared, and the environment is damaged. 

The “War on Drugs” began in Manipur in 2018 under N. Biren Singh continues today. Progress is measurable, but challenges remain. A lasting impact requires consistency in committed leadership, national leadership support, regional coordination, sustainable farmer alternatives, disruption of trafficking networks, collective effort, and the restoration of normalcy.

Breaking the Silence - The Courage to  Confront What Others Ignored

The War on Drugs demanded extraordinary courage. In 2018, former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh launched the effort with firm personal conviction. His leadership recognised the damage from the spread of drugs. He had warned that the Golden Triangle drug corridor was expanding into India via Manipur.This flow placed the state at the centre of global narcotics networks.

Launching  of this campaign required confronting powerful interests frompeople with different views. At times, progress requires us to accept criticism constructively.We need leaders who stand up for their convictions for the benefit of the community’s future, and who make difficult decisions when moral necessity requires them.

As Aristotle observed, "You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honour." This timeless wisdom captures what leadership demands when facing ingrained problems. Courage is not the absence of fear but the determination to act despite it, to do what is right even when difficult, to prioritise future generations over present convenience.

Former Chief Minister Singh showed courage by naming a crisis, speaking openly about the threat and committing state resources to fight the trade. These steps ended a pattern of avoidance and opened honest public discussion across Manipur. The present administration continues the campaign. This continuity signals leadership beyond one tenure and reflects institutional commitment. 

National Leadership joins the Fight

State action now aligns with national resolve. It is a welcome New Year gift for the nation, particularly for the people of Manipur: Union Home Minister Mr Amit Shah's announcement of a three-year nationwide crackdown on narcotics beginning March 31. The announcement was made at the 9th Apex-level meeting of the Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD) on January 9, 2026. The campaign aims to make India drug-free and protect its youth. He outlined a framework for a collective, ruthless, and strategic approach to disrupt supply, reduce demand, and mitigate harm. Minister Shah shows leadership traits aligned with state leadership. He names the problem directly. He commits to sustained action and treats the challenge as one demanding courage across all levels of government. His order for departments to submit detailed roadmaps by March 31 sets clear targets and fixed reviews.  The national campaign's emphasis on attacking the entire drug network - from kingpins and financiers to logistics routes and processing facilities-The Hindu 10 Jan 2026. 

This national initiative aligns perfectly with what Manipur has learned through years of ground-level and  matters deeply for the state. For years, the state fought with limited resources, porous borders, and pressure from Myanmar’s opium regions. Now Manipur joins a nationwide mobilisation. The effort brings institutional backing, shared intelligence, and resources beyond the reach of any single state.This decisive milestone boosts the ongoing campaign in the state!

Also Read: From Amsterdam to Manipur: A Journey from Anne Frank's Legacy to Our Duty for Peace

Why Leadership Alignment Creates Unprecedented Opportunity

The convergence of state and national leadership creates an exceptional opportunity. The NCORD mechanism provides a four-tier coordination structure enabling seamless connection between Manipur's operations and central agencies. The impact of sustained national action is supported by government data - real-time intelligence sharing, coordinated border operations, and rapid response to emerging trafficking routes.Mr Shah mentioned that drug seizures rose elevenfold from 2014 to 2025 with reference to the previous decade, and destruction of opium poppy grew from 10,770 acres in 2020 to 40,000 acres by November 2025- The Hindu10 Jan 2026. These results strengthen Manipur’s enforcement efforts

Minister Shah's three-pronged approach: ruthless on supply disruption, strategic on demand reduction, and humane on harm mitigation. It provides a framework balancing enforcement with compassion. Sustainable solutions require both accountability for traffickers and pathways out for those trapped in the drug economy. National prioritisation also provides state-level leaders with enhanced legitimacy to maintain pressure even when facing resistance.

Progress That Validates Courage

Results validate leadership commitment. Manipur's War on Drugs has produced tangible, verifiable outcomes. Between 11 and 23 November 2025, joint operations by the Army, Assam Rifles, CRPF, BSF, and Manipur Police destroyed over 675 acres of illegal poppy fields across six hill districts- Sentinel Assam 27 Nov 2025. As per The Shillong Times (26 Dec 2025), 1.60 lakh methamphetamine tablets worth over ₹40 crore from a truck in Jiribam district were seized. The Manipur Police disposed of more than 332 kg of seized narcotic substances at the Shija Common Bio Medical Waste Treatment Facility in Imphal West district - The Indian Express 27 Sept 2025.

The cumulative data tells a story of sustained pressure:According to Achom, satellite imagery from the Manipur Remote Sensing Applications Centre (MARSAC) shows about a 60% drop in poppy cultivation between 2021-22 and 2023-24 (NDTV14 April 2024). Between 2017 and 2023, security forces destroyed over 77 square kilometres of illegal cultivation and made nearly 3,000 arrests. Also, 142 hectares of poppy cultivation have been rehabilitated through afforestation (MoEFCC16 Dec2024). The decline and initiatives prove that focused action produces measurable results.

Multi-agencyoperations demonstrate that institutional cooperation works when leadership provides clear direction and sustained support.

Honest Assessment of Remaining Challenges

Diplomatic honesty requires acknowledging that substantial challenges persist. According to Mishra on the Myanmar Survey 2025, there was an increase of opium poppy cultivation by 17 per cent in one year, rising from 45,200 hectares in 2024 to 53,100 hectares in 2025. It is the highest record in a decade (UN News 3Dec 2025). Han (Reuters Dec 2025) reported that in Chin State, the cultivation increased by 26%, and 552 hectares of poppy cultivation in the northern Sagaing Region near the India border was identified. The first detection in the Sagaing Region, alongside expansion in Chin State, are the indicating factors causing rising risks for neighbouring territories. 

Ending corruption, protecting our youth, and staying ahead of adaptive drug networks are crucial. Unfortunately, the violence that erupted in May 2023 has complicated operations, driving cultivation deeper into areas where oversight becomes nearly impossible.

We need to deal these challenges with determination and goodwill, as they remind us that meaningful change takes time and that national partnership is indispensable, because no state can face regional supply shocks or shifting demand on its own.

Building on Courageous Foundations

Significantly, the convergence of state experience and national mobilisation creates an exceptional opportunity for breakthrough progress. As we move forward together, we need to set several priorities for emphasis. 

Let us prioritise where impact matters most: track results transparently, dismantle drug networks, provide alternative livelihoods, expand treatment, and support long-term recovery.Most critically, restore peace - recognise that conflict fundamentally undermines every other intervention. Peace is not a luxury but the operational foundation enabling enforcement, development programs, and community cooperation.

A Future Built on Courage – A Path Forward

Beyond doubt, united Manipuri society is at a critical turning point in confronting the narcotics crisis and is at its defining moment — a moment for courage, for unity, and for bold action. How exciting - the state and national leadership come together to secure a future  free from the grip of narcotics!

Success is achievable through mutual vision,  persistence and collective action. Thailand’s success proves that persistence and unity can defeat even entrenched drug economies — and with that same spirit, Manipur can rise above this challenge.
Courageous leadership, institutional support, and collective action can give a better future for our children, communities, and environment — with the moral strength to persist, do what is right, and never give up on the common good.

Joshua 1:9 NIV - “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Statement: I do not support illegal poppy cultivation. I support sustainable alternatives that strengthen society and help affected farmers in Manipur. I stand firmly behind the Manipur Government's  "War on Drugs" campaign. As a strong, united community, we must work alongside government agencies that are helping farmers abandon illegal poppy farming. We, the people of Manipur, can eliminate unlawful poppy cultivation through collective effort. I call upon the entire Manipur community to unite as one team in this fight against illegal cultivation of poppy, working together to create sustainable livelihoods and a healthier future for all.

Chongboi Haokip is an international development consultant specialising in agriculture, horticulture, trade facilitation and sustainable development.