Drugs: Destroying a menace in Assam

Hrishikesh Sarma, Vishal Phukan

(The writer can be reached at hriskikeshsarma@gmail.com)

A drug is any substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalation, injection, smoking, ingestion, absorption via a patch on the skin, suppository, or dissolution under the tongue.

Assam has been fighting with some social evils since the post-independence era which is more dangerous even than the colonial saga under the British government and many other events. The illegal trafficking in Assam is not only costing Assam economically but it has also caused a huge amount of damage to the social structure of Assam, known as the gateway of the Northeast. Assam has always been a priority to the trade but some illegal traffickers and groups running the business of drugs in this region for the last few years. Now drugs are not confined in city territory but it has gone too far away from it and many youths are now addicted to it. The world knows that India is the only country in the entire globe to have the highest number of youths; so many foreign countries are planning to destroy our youths by supplying drugs. Many lives have already been destroyed by this and many families are still suffering from the horror impact of drugs on them and children's and their families. It is a matter of extreme concern that the number of such intoxicated people is increasing rapidly. Addiction has not only destroyed the prospects and dreams of our budding youth but has pushed entire families into a dark abyss of hopelessness and ruin.

Drugs have become an issue because Assam has been fighting with its protection of identity, economy and social structure for a long period. The youth of Assam is the vital core of this fight because only youth can change the destiny of a nation. The north-eastern part of India is very important from the geopolitical perspective, economic and international trade and a sensitive zone because of ill-minded international neighbours. From the golden corridor positioned near the Northeastern states, the Manipur has become a major part of trafficking drugs and illegal activities operated mostly from Myanmar and some other countries. As per the study, we have come to know that Assam is a very convenient location for drug trafficking. It is situated near the 'Golden Triangle' and shaped by the international borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. Assam has become a corridor for from transported drug trafficking to the rest of the country. It has been established that illegal drugs are first transported to Assam via two of its bordering states - Manipur and Mizoram-and, and thereafter, from Guwahati, they are further transported to different parts of and the country. Different drugs are also brought to Assam from other parts of India. They are first transported to every nook and corner of Assam and then to neighbouring Bangladesh and other States through the various frontier. Normally, five illegal drugs, ganja (marijuana), opium, heroin or brown sugar, cough syrups and methamphetamine tablets can be traced to Assam.

In this period of highly sensible and challenging, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that the "2021 election would be a fight for civilization and protection of Assamese identity." After the election, when he was appointed as Chief Minister of the state he started his work very dynamically and took an approach to eradicate all the social evils from society. He initially made some administrative reforms in the Home Department and made transfers of administrative heads of districts and after a few days of it, the whole Assam had witnessed some events that never happened to the Assam. Assam Police department has taken this matter very seriously and has started an unprecedented mission to save our young generation from the demonic clutches of drugs.

We know that drugs are an important material in the medical industry, but from this industry, only many peddlers are taking such and selling them in the market. In pharmacology, a drug is a chemical substance, typically of known structure, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect. Traditionally drugs were obtained through extraction from medicinal plants, but more recently also by organic synthesis. Pharmaceutical drugs may be used for a limited duration, or regularly for chronic disorders.

Boring Bey has exploited the loopholes in the system of Assam police. Many times we have seen police personnel are getting arrested and found guilty of many crimes. Even in the battle of drug vs the state, many corrupt police personnel's are being found guilty of taking bribes from drug peddlers and many more.

The police system of Assam needs to set up a benchmark for everyone while fighting against all the odds of society. To remove such odd things from our society police department as well as sincere cooperation from all sections of society, so that the administration can gradually but certainly inch closer towards their goal.

There are several laboratories in the Chan area of Myanmar, near the China border, where such narcotics are produced. The routes through which these narcotics are transported to Assam have been outlined below: Moreh- Imphal-Kohima- Dimapur- Karbi Anglong- Golaghat-Nagaon-Guwahati; Myanmar-Mizoram-Barak Valley-Meghalaya-Guwahati; Upper Myanmar-Old Stilwell Road-Jagun-Margherita-Dibrugarh-Guwahati. Drugs are transported in different ways, first, the codeine contained in cough syrups are transported to Assam from different parts of the country. Secondly, the drug traffickers, using the vulnerable Bangladesh border, transport drugs like methamphetamine to Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram. Thirdly, such drugs are carried from Assam to Kolkata, Siliguri, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and other States.

The business around drugs is indeed quite lucrative. Much unemployed youth, tempted by the prospect of earning easy money, are often found to be trapped by the drug mafias. The well-organised and calculated campaigns of the Assam Police against illegal drug trafficking in being intensified now.

In the last few months, 830 cases have been registered, 1424 persons arrested, 18.81 kg of heroin, 7944.72 kg of ganja, 14.28 kg of opium, 67371 bottles of cough syrups, 1270394 number of capsules and tablets, 1,00,76,282 in cash have been seized. Apart from this, 15 bighas and 1 Lecha of cannabis/poppy cultivations have been destroyed.

Encouraged by the dynamic leadership of the Government of Assam, the Assam Police will exert untiringly to demolish such networks till they are completely rooted out from our society. And also share every information we have of the people in the business of drugs or involved in the chain of supply and delivery even at the household level.