[ Prafulla Kaman ]
RUKSIN, Aug 10: Taking serious note of the growing drugs problem along the Assam-Arunachal boundary area in Jonai, Assam, the Jonai district unit of the Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK) has launched a fight to eradicate the social evil from the area.
The Mising students’ union has issued a circular to all its 15 sub-committees, directing them to hold drugs awareness meetings involving gaon burahs, leaders and village elders, and to highlight the ill effects of alcoholism and drug abuse on the user’s body and the society as a whole.
TMPK leader Juddhenath Payeng informed that his union has already conducted meetings at 15 gram panchayats under Jonai subdivision and gathered information about drug-addict youths and persons involved in the illicit trade.
The union’s functionaries also held a meeting with Pasighat-based Women Against Social Evils and local village defence party members at Leku Jelom last week and chalked out strategies to contain the drug trade along the interstate boundary area.
“Our effort is to save the future generations from the ill-effects of hooch, narcotics and psychotropic drugs. Through there has been reports of rising drugs abuse by the adults and youths alike, the police and administration have not been taking the issue seriously,” lamented Payeng.
The TMPK, with the help of the Jonai Mohkuma Drugs Nivarani Oikya Mancha and the Senior Citizens Union, is conducting special drives to restrain the use of hooch, narcotics, and contraband drugs in the area.
Recently, a joint team of police and excise officials of Jonai arrested eight persons and seized 52 packets of brown sugar along with some contraband capsules from their possession.
Altogether 16 persons have been booked under the NDPS Act so far.
The Assam-Arunachal boundary area, including Laimekuri, Lakhi Nepali Basti and Leku-Jelom area of Jonai in Assam, is fast becoming a hub of illicit drug trafficking.
As per reports, a large section of youths, including school children, have fallen prey to drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking.
