Drugs dare where guns fear to tread in heartland of NSCN

The trigger happy men may be resting for a while in the heartland of the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) in Ukhrul. But the Thangkul Nagas now are up in arms fighting the most deadly disease-HIV/AIDS- and drugs abuse in Ukhrul district of Manipur.

"It's the biggest problem that we are facing today and our district has the highest number of AIDS-infected people," Tangkhul Mayar Ngala Long-TMNL (Tangkhul Youth Council, (Ukhrul) vice president Mahirah Raihing told a group of visiting journalists.

Ukhrul district is one of the remote and underdeveloped districts of Manipur. "Since, we do not recognise the Manipur police," Mr Raihaing said the Council had conducted its own investigation and even put drugs peddlers under the house arrest in consultation with the parents of the accused. As per the survey conducted by the Tangkhul Youth Council, first of its kind to access the drug abuse in Ukhrul shows a spiral increase of addicts from 15 in 1982-83 to 4000 in 1996-97.

As on September 30, 2005, some 1,28,176 blood samples were screened in Manipur out of which 20,744 were found to be HIV sero positive. Sharing of syringes among addicts was the most common reason for the spread of AIDS in Manipur, which has one of the highest per capita HIV positive patients in India.

According to a health department survey, the sero-positivity rate of 157.66 per 1000 blood samples screened was the highest in the country. Ukhrul had 1909 HIV screened, 809 HIV+ with 43% sero-positive rate followed by Churachandpur district with 33% and Imphal by 21%. "Yes, it’s a major problem in Ukhrul and proper rehabilitation of drug-addicts is a major challenge," Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights, member Ukhrul Unit, Alung Rungsung said.

Echoing the same views, a village elder said the biggest problem faced by young Manipuri people was drug addiction and suffering from HIV/AIDS. "The unprotected border with Myanmar has helped drugs mafias to boom their business in Manipur," the village elder said.

Manipur has increasingly become a major trade route for Burmese heroin. The border between India and Myanmar is extremely porous and difficult to man it because of its difficult terrain.

UNI RRK PC RD 1156

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