Despite sustained efforts to control the evil of drugs in the state in which both society at large and the government are the active warriors, the menace continues to thrive. The Chief Secretary while chairing a meeting in this regard on Monday made the same observation and his mentioning that certain government employees in the most-affected districts of Namsai, Lohit, Dibang Valley, Upper Siang, Anjaw, Changlang, Tirap and West Kameng are reportedly involved in drug abuse is really concerning. It is not only a disheartening development for those who want the menace to end, but also a bad example for the state. While urgent steps must be rolled out to book the offenders, reinforcing and upscaling the current levels of actions to check the menace, gradually spreading out its wings across the state is also necessary. The disrepute that as many as 8 districts of Arunachal are having a presence in the 272 worst affected districts in the country must be erased, preferably setting a deadline for the accomplishment.
It is a matter of fact that but for the steadfast dedication of the various organisations, popularly known as the NGOs, the picture would have been much worse. It can also be observed that despite destroying the opium fields almost routinely by the District Administrations, only a temporary pause can be made. However, the problem persists and convincing the erstwhile opium growers who took the illegal path primarily out of financial lure to take to cultivation of economically viable cash crops must be taken on a greater scale. It’s true this cannot be the only solution and all measures currently adopted must be taken to higher levels of implementation. While the students must be properly educated through curricula, the PRI members must play a proactive role and in this regard the time-tested institution of the Gaon Burah do have a meaningful role to play. Given the fact they enjoy superior command over the critical issues, they must be taken into confidence to take the fight at the grassroots level. Formation of the State Level Technical Expert Committee (SLTEC) composed of expert-level representatives dealing with the menace is a timely decision and the proposed study on ‘Situational Analysis on Substance Abuse’ with technical help from the National Institute of Social Defence is also a long-felt necessity. A steady date support from an updated documentation base on drug/substance abuse is always necessary for drawing the right combating strategies.
As it has been observed across the world, the war against drugs is a continuing process and few and far between efforts, however action-oriented they are will fail to deliver the desired impact. The battle against drugs must go on without break. 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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