From Ronald Syiem
NONGSTOIN: A series of crackdowns on alcohol sale in West Khasi Hills over a period of time has boomeranged on the populace, especially the youths, who are now in a daze after persistent drug abuse.
Liquor sales in the district have fallen drastically in the last few years after Seng Longkmie, the women’s organisation, shut down counters and seized hundreds of bottles of liquor.
With this virtual ban, more youths have been drawn towards “cheap” heroin that irreparably damages health. An investigation by The Shillong Times shows more than 300 heroin users have been estimated only in 2018, 40 percent of which are “hardcore users” who take heroin “shots” every hour.
The police report stated that this year, there are so far nine narcotic cases and nine suppliers were arrested. However, the police said many cases remain unreported.
The father of a drug addict (name withheld on request) said his son was only 17 when he started using drugs. “After using heroin twice he got addicted and now he is in rehab,” said the parent. He blamed “the ban” on alcohol for rising cases of drug abuse.
The supply chain in Nongstoin is simple. Hardcore drug abusers buy contraband themselves from suppliers in Shillong. Sometimes drug abusers are also suppliers making it difficult for police to track them.
They carry heroin in a mobile phone box or in a box covered with an online shopping sticker and logo of either Amazon or Flipkart without raising any suspicion, even when they are travelling in a tourist taxi.
Police said heroin, referred to as “piece” in local parlance, sold in Nongstoin are all from Bangladesh and Myanmar and is cheap and easily available. “Three ‘pieces’ of heroin are equivalent to six cans of beer,” the source said.
A disgruntled resident, Khrawbok Marbaniang, said the Seng Longkmie has “surprisingly” maintained silence on the growing drug menace even as they are aggressively fighting against alcohol sales.
“For a decade now, the women’s organisation has been opposing only alcohol but when the drug menace is rising day by day they are quiet. Even children of those village leaders and leaders of community are addicted to drugs and if the women’s organisation is responsible for banning wine shops in Nongstoin then who will be responsible to check rise of heroin here,” he added.
However, the Secretary of the Seng Longkmie of Nongstoin, AK Kharsyntiew, said the organisation has already held a joint operation with the village defense party and the village authority of New Nongstoin against drug abuse.
“Seng Longkmie is still active and for the last 11 years we have been fighting against the evils in society,” she added.
With restrictions on liquor sale, illegal sales at higher rates have started and the government is losing on revenue.
Mizoram had faced a similar situation a few years ago when an official ban on liquor led to a spurt in drug abuse.
In Mizoram, at least 1,456 people, including 156 females, died due to drug abuse in 34 years between 1984 and July 2017. At present, there are 2,080 people recuperating at several rehabilitation centres in the state. A source said the main killer drug in the state was spasmo proxyvon followed by heroin.
The Shillong Times found out that there were at least two cases of drug overdose in Nongstoin this year. But the death of the teenagers, one a girl, was not reported.
On allegations that prohibition on alcohol sales has led to drug abuse, Kharsyntiew said, “It is not true because in other parts of the state like in Shillong there is no prohibition of alcohol but rise in drug addiction is more than in Nongstoin.”
She said it was hard for the organisation to tackle illicit liquor sales in Nongstoin and admitted that if one peddler was punished more would come up “but we have fought against this issue for 11 years and we won’t back down”.
HL Lyngdoh, a church leader, said banning alcohol will push many people towards drugs and in Nongstoin, youths are using cheap stuff.
While the idea of banning alcohol sounds like a great strategy, it never works. In fact, it is a great opportunity for setting up an illegal business of liquor… Several states have experimented with prohibition at some point of time or the other, but since it has not worked, they eventually repealed it.
Last year, Mizoram put an end to its 17-year-old ban on alcohol. Manipur (only in capital Imphal) and Nagaland are also thinking of doing away with prohibition. Earlier this year, Manipur Chief Minister O. Ibobi Singh told the state Assembly that it was “about time prohibition was withdrawn”,
Lyngdoh maintained that as a church leader he did not encourage a wine shop but wanted prominent citizens to find a way out of this by implementing new rules on sale of alcohol.
A solution to the problem is yet to be found and concerned citizens hope that the menace is checked before it goes out of control.