Manipur: CM Biren Singh Assures War on Drugs and Evictions Won't Single Out Communities

IMPHAL: Chief Minister of Manipur, N Biren Singh said the crusade against drug-related problems and the eviction process that is going on within the protected forests of the state was not targeting any specific group.

In his speech on the 50th anniversary of the All Manipur Working Journalists Union on September 16, 2024, he urged that this was for the advantage of all as it has been raising issues that certain bodies would be adversely affected by this process.

Extremely well-remembered to him during his days as a journalist, he said the drug menace was serious in Manipur and had at one point brought the state to the top of HIV infections in the country.

He stated that one of the reasons for starting the war on drugs once he became Chief Minister was because of the devastating impact drugs had on generations. Singh clarified that the policy was not meant to target a particular community but to save lives.

It was said by the Chief Minister that within the last six years, 60,000 crore worth of narcotic drugs were seized in the state. He said 18,000 hectares of illicit poppy cultivation has been destroyed and acknowledged the fact that those affected by these policies feel frustrated, but such measures were necessary for the long-term welfare of the state.

Referring to the on-going eviction operations in Manipur's reserved forests, Singh said that the government had taken similar measures both in hill and valley regions.

He said even in his constituency Heingang and also in Waithou of Thoubal district the eviction operations were carried out to clear encroachments. Singh emphasized that such operations were for the protection of the reserved forests and no particular community was targeted.

Further emphasis on the commitment of the government to inclusiveness was made by CM Singh when he also stated that Manipur belongs to all the 34 recognized tribes and that everybody should identify both as Indians and Manipuris. He called for more constructive discussion, especially in the media, on ways of restoring peace to the state.

Singh said that in hard times, the need for unity was more than anything else and called for focusing one's thoughts on talks that can be done with peace of mind as well as with a sound approach. He underlined that root causes of the current issues were quite clear.

The Chief Minister was equally vociferous about social media asking the YouTubers to abstain from live streaming from protest sites, as it would create a further situation for unrest.

When the media sought him out over an arrest reportedly of a Myanmar national suspected to be one of members from the Burma faction of Kuki National Army, Singh repeated his assertion that "external forces" were contributing to Manipur's current unrest.

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