Substances, No Style

“I admire addicts. In a world where everybody is waiting for some bline, random disaster, or some sudden disease, the addict has the comfort of knowing what will most likely wait for him down the road. He's taken some control over his ultimate fate, and his addiction keeps the cause of death from being a total surprise.”
Chuck Palahniuk

Last Saturday, the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was observed across the globe. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has a global campaign on 'Think health, not drugs' to to mark the day and spread awareness about drug abuse and the detrimental effects the drugs have on an individual and the society at large.

The objectives of the UNODC in marking this day are extensive; these even include the environmental protection. Back home in Manipur, I feel, June 26 is a grim reminder of the fact that drug menace is as hideous as the perpetual socio-political conflicts that have torn the state apart.

Chuck Palahniuk’s appreciation of a listless junkie at BOC or a school-going kid with a pocket full of SPs would sound so romantic in contemporary Manipur. But the malaise lies deep within. There have been several movements in the state to halt this social disease; it is indeed a community ailment than a personal trouble. Though the enterprise of several NGOs working on this issue is laudable, we have also seen various outdated, primitive methods used by self-proclaimed guardians -- which are just condemnable.

So you think you can beat the shit out of a pill-popper and put an end to the menace? Humiliate him… destroy and burn his house? It sounds so Manipuri and it sounds so disgusting.

Take a look at the mess our state is in today. And the problem of widespread drug addiction is just one of its manifestations. For that matter, marijuana is cultivated pervasively, and so are the poppies. Poverty, corruption and any government in the state, which is more lifeless than a No. 4 addict, are amicable bedfellows to give birth to more maladies.

Under compulsion

We need a collective consciousness rather than demolishing those stalls selling red tea. We need education and freedom from the everlasting turmoil of the state rather than employing those cheap Narcotics Control Bureau officials. We need to think about life rather than mulling on modifying the vehicle parts to conceal the stuffs from BOC and Hatta and Khergao and Chingmeirong and Thoubal.

In this regard, the UNODC is convincing. They are giving attention to overall development and their ubiquitous Millennium Development Goals. Ultimately we need a holistic approach towards a drug-free world and to create a favourable environment for posterity.

For more information,

• The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia
• Get a PDF of The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia
• Narcotics Anonymous
• United Nations Office on Drug and Crime
  
• Drug Awareness & HIV/AIDS Problems in Manipur: Educating the Mass on E-pao