By Surajit Khaund
Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)

November 2, 2003: About 12 Singpho villages with a population of seven thousands living in the bordering areas of the northeastern India have become victims of opium. Free flow of opium from Burma across the international border poses a serious threat to the Singpho community as more and more Singpho youths are getting attracted towards the intoxicant.

These villages -Dibang, Ketetong, Pangna, Ulup, Ingthem, Mungbhon, Pangsun,
Hasak, Katha, Bisa, Namo and Kumsai - have been badly affected by opium during the last five years. What is more alarming is that most of the villagers have sold off their properties to meet their regular quota of opium.

Though the opium consumption is a traditional practice for the Singpho community, the problem began to appear more in these areas from 1995 after
liberalization of border trade between India and Burma.

And now the problem has taken a serious turn in view of unabated flow of opium into the region taking advantage of porous international border.

"My father used to take opium. And after his death, I started taking it daily. This is our tradition for which the Singpho community do not want to give up opium", this was the immediate reaction of Aung Gam, a Singpho youth from Kumsai.

He has also stopped further studies; and not willing to work in the paddy field. He is not the lone victim. There are hundreds of Singpho youths who are facing the same problem.

"We generally take two to three tolas daily to meet our demand (one tola is nearly 10 gram). But sometimes we need more quota to get fast kick", Yaoong
and Song unequivocally said.

These two Singpho youths had started taking opium last year in a village of
Burma while attending a traditional function of the Burmese people. The duo stated that one person spends minimum Rs. 200 to Rs. 300 daily to procure
opium.

When asked about their procurement strategies, they said the addicts had
regular suppliers. But they refused to name the persons involved in opium trafficking.

According to them, Burmese people cultivate opium in some remote pockets
just opposite the international border and then they supply to the Indian people through some villagers. These villagers belong to Tangsha community who has been supplying opium to the northeastern states of India as per demand of the people, they added.

Molomg Pahar, located along the border of Burma, is said to be one of major
transit points of opium smuggling through which maximum consignments of opium come to the region.

Moreover Pangsau Pass, Nampong and Jairampur are slowly emerging as major
routes of opium smuggling across the international border.

In North East India, opium is smoked by wooden and Bamboo pots called Doba,
but some times the people row opium to get fast kick.

Of the 12 Singpho villages, Pangsun and Kumsai are worst affected in which
estimated 80 per cent of youths are addicts. Another important fact is that due to prolong use of opium; most of the Singpho people have lost their fertility. This can be justified by the fact that in 1950 the Singpho population was recorded at 50,000. Now the figure has come down to 10,000 only in the whole northeast India.

Commenting on the prevailing situation, the Singpho National Council (SNC) leader Mr. Rajesh Singpho stated that an urgent step should be initiated considering the gravity of the situation and with the decreasing population of Singpho community.

"Recently some opium addicts were imprisoned by the law enforcement agencies. But they started taking it again immediately after their release. So the concerned agencies should organize awareness camps", he added.

On the free flow of opium across the international border, the SNC leader observed that law enforcement agencies should gear up operations to check the menace.