[ Pisi Zauing ]
MIAO, 28 Jul: Miao ADC Ibom Tao on Thursday convened a meeting here with leaders of all faiths to discuss ways to end the drugs menace in the subdivision.
The local administration has been fighting against the menace since September last year. As a result, the number of addicts has dropped to a large extent, and drug peddlers are either behind bars or have moved their bases elsewhere.
Leaders representing TBCA, Buddhists, Catholic churches, Rangfrah, CDCRC, HBCA, Presbyterian church, Hindi Seva Sangh, Muslim leaders, and Church of Christ reiterated their support and cooperation in the fight against drugs.
CHC MO Dr HS Jongsam spoke on “drugs abuse and the challenges in medical perspective; addiction and its implications; and rehabilitation of drug addicts and rehabilitation,” while Sub-divisional Police Officer T Zirdo presented a brief on the legal aspects of drugs abuse, actions taken against drug addicts and peddlers, the NDPS Act, the Juvenile Justice Act, the DV Act, etc.
The participants resolved to promote community-based rehabilitation and establish prayer centres, besides launching awareness programmes.
The village-level anti-drugs squads have been urged to accelerate the pace of activities for eradication of the social evil.
Members of the Singpho Women Organisation, the Tangsa Women Welfare Society, the Miao Mother’s Association and the Miao unit of the Arunachal Pradesh Women’s Welfare Society jointly reiterated their demand for “a government-sponsored rehabilitation and de-addiction centre in Miao, with all the needed infrastructure, human resource, and medicines.”
