The illicit trafficking in narcotics is certainly linked to organised crime and arms smuggling and thus terror threats in mainland India. But in the North-east it is more often linked to insurgency. The militant groups in the region have, fortunately, not been involved much in the drug trade even as, from time to time, various ultra outfits have been trying to accuse rival factions of the menace.

However, various security agencies have, time and again, held parts of Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland as “influential links” in the smuggling route for narcotics. This is more because poppy cultivation has been prevalent in pockets of Ukhrul and Senapati districts of Manipur and parts of Tripura and Mizoram and a few other hubs in Arunachal Pradesh.

The Golden Triangle, comprising Myanmar, Thailand and Laos, is a major corridor of drug production and supply in Southeast Asia. What concerns India and the North-eastern states more is that Myanmar is a key neighbour for us. It has always maintained an enormous lead over the other opiumproducing areas; and making it worse, perhaps, there has been a sharp increase in the production of opium in Myanmar since 1989-90. Analysts say this is mainly linked to the disintegration of a unified political force in Myanmar, a sudden spurt in political unrest and the growing Chinese influence.

There are possibly now 25 trafficking routes from Myanmar to the North-east. At the global level, too, Myanmar is known as a drug hub and produces about 80 per cent of the heroin in South-east Asia. It also supplies more than 60 per cent of the world&’s heroin.

While the drugs — heroin and opium — and Aids figures are enough to cause serious concern, the North-east and neighbouring countries like Myanmar, Nepal and Bangladesh are today also becoming the major meeting point of various secessionist groups operating in South and Southeast Asia. The latest inputs from a Central agency have said that even Chittagong, the easternmost port in Bangladesh, has become a transit point for drugs to be couriered to the Persian Gulf.

In the meantime, lately, the issue of drug menace and poppy cultivation in the North-east has again gained currency after it came to light that in the absence of any opportunity of profitable earning, opium has slowly become the economy for the residents of Lohit district in Arunachal Pradesh.

Worse, what really raises eyebrows and should send in warning signals to the authorities is that poppy cultivation is on the rise in the North-east as people are desperately looking for viable job avenues. This brings us to the basic issue of governance, so much talked about in the country and yet found wanting in more ways than one.

The women&’s wing of the influential All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union has taken up the issue with the authorities, both in Itanagar and New Delhi, complaining that economic reasons are responsible for villagers’ involvement in opium cultivation.

Aapsu and other social organisations are also trying to educate villagers so that they stay away from opium cultivation. But such endeavours can get a boost only if there is adequate government support. This is all the more desirable in terms of opening up enough job opportunities. The Arunachal Pradesh administration is generally known for its indifference to problems afflicting the people.

Reports say poppy is also grown illicitly in Tirap, Changlang, Lohit and Upper Siang districts of the state. The Centre is keen to act on the narco-insurgency network but as usual the policy-makers are stuck with the good old prism and generally go by the feedback from Army units and Central intelligence agencies. This actually offers a double-edged sword. Generally, the Army feedback is impartial and not clouded with political reasons or the tribal loyalty phenomenon, unlike most reports from the civilian governments in the region. But the Central agencies’ reports mostly toe the line that the illegal narcotics trade is one of the major support bases for the continuance of the insurgency menace in the region and, in the process, they recommend hard measures.

This does not help in curbing the drug menace as the militant groups in the region have, over the years, depended on other means to raise funds. The chief factor being an emotional support base of natives and, economically, the well established networks of timber business and extortion from business communities and “outsiders”.

But with the timber business facing a strict ban due to the Supreme Court&’s orders and extortion reaching near saturation point, the insurgent outfits are generally looking towards other sources. Thus, security agencies presume that opium cultivation and trade is on the rise. Truckloads of poppy are reportedly smuggled into Bangladesh, Nepal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh from the North-east, besides Myanmar.

In 2013, the Institute of Narcotics Studies and Analysis had also confirmed that the prevalence of opium production and abuse were rising alarmingly in these states as there was also an increase in local consumption.

Guwahati, too, has been a transit point.The Narcotics Control Bureau reports have, in the past, pointed to organised criminal gangs operating in Assam. Opium from the North-east bound for Myanmar is also directed onwards to the USA, Europe and African destinations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his “Man ki Baat” radiotalk, spoke elaborately on the drug menace. It is presumed he is yet to get detail briefings on the narco trade in the Northeast. Thus it is recommended that once the new government gets going effectively on these issues, via-a-vis the North-east, the Modi regime would do well to work on an effective drug control mechanism that can check the illicit trade. To achieve this, the Centre needs to establish institutional mechanisms with countries like Myanmar, Nepal, China and Bhutan.

The author is the special representative with the Statesman in New Delhi and author of book the talking guns: North East India