Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 24 Feb: Highlighting the scenario of local drug-addict youths turning into interstate drug peddlers, members of Pasighat-based social group Women Against Social Evil (WASE) on Wednesday called for reforms in the “anti-drug efforts.”
WASE secretary-general Joya Tasung Moyong informed that the WASE will be submitting a memorandum to the chief minister through the chief secretary in this regard.
Highlighting the points in the memorandum, Moyong said that yoga classes should be included in all government and private schools’ curricula from the primary level onwards, and that joining the National Cadet Corps (NCC) should be made compulsory.
Acknowledging that stressful environment at home and in the society also push youths towards substance abuse, Moyong expressed hope that incorporating yoga classes and making it mandatory to join the NCC
would go a long way in making youths better at handling stress and imbibing discipline.
Moyong, who was addressing a press conference at the Arunachal Press Club here, said that the state government should make it compulsory for all government and private schools to appoint trained counsellors for students, and also make drug test compulsory for teachers and police personnel.
The WASE also appealed to the state government to create an anti-drug squad in every district, “consisting of a magistrate, police personnel, NGO members, and concerned citizens.”
Informing that busting of drug rackets usually take place at odd hours and at a moment’s notice, Moyong said that, due to the absence of a dedicated anti-drug squad, especially a magistrate, “many of WASE’s drug racket busting operations have seen no conviction.”
WASE president Yamik Dulom Darang appealed to the state government to impose a complete ban on issuing of liquor shop licence in East Siang district.
Terming Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) as “the second step towards drugs, with the first being tobacco products,” Darang said that, till the state government comes up with modalities to restrict the purchase of liquor by minors and restricts illegal sale of IMFL, no liquor shop licence should be issued.
Informing that licenced liquor shops in East Siang district are in excess, and that such shops also operate within the peripheries of schools, hospitals, religious places, etc, Darang opined that IMFL should be sold on a “ration basis.”
