Nagaland: Students participate in anti‑drug campaign
Kolkata, Aug 24
An anti‑drug campaign was organised at Agape Higher Secondary School in Kiphire, Nagaland, on Monday, August 24, 2026. It was organised by Akehda Amulung, a Non‑Governmental Organisation that serves as an implementing support agency for the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan. The initiative received support from a unit of the Army's Spear Corps. Nearly 180 students participated in the event.
Nagaland shares a 215 km long, porous border with Myanmar. It is also close to the Golden Triangle - the world's largest opium‑producing region covering parts of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. Traffickers exploit the unfenced border and ethnic linkages to move narcotics through the state. After the 2021 coup, Myanmar has become a major source of heroin and methamphetamine, making states like Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur extremely vulnerable.
While official figures claim that there are about 1.2 lakh drug addicts in Nagaland, experts believe the actual figure may have crossed 2.5 lakh. Another matter of concern is that addicts are now switching from traditional drugs to synthetic ones. Even if the 1.2 lakh figure is to be believed, it implies huge consumption of narcotics in the state. Even if half of them consume heroin and brown sugar, known locally as Shan Flower, the numbers are alarming.
"If we estimate 0.5 gram of consumption per person per day, we are looking at almost 30,000 grams or 30 kg per day, or a whopping 10,000 kg per annum being consumed in Nagaland," a senior police official said recently.
Another major problem in Nagaland is the spread of diseases such as Hepatitis B and HIV among addicts due to the use of unsterilised syringes. This puts a major burden on the state's exchequer.
The church, as well as women's groups - which have considerable influence on the youth - have been involved in the campaign against drugs. According to experts, things have improved since the 1980s and 1990s, with greater intervention and a section of youths moving to other parts of the country for higher studies or jobs. However, much more needs to be done, they say, and the work has to start at educational institutions.
The proliferation of narcotics is also a problem for the security forces combating insurgency in the region. Investigations have revealed a clear link between the drug trade and militant outfits that have camps across the border. Such outfits fund their operations through drug trafficking.
"The menace will have to be curbed to bring about prolonged peace in the region. Insurgency will stop once the outfits are starved of funds. We have already cracked down on extortion and abduction. Now, all agencies will have to come together to stop the trafficking of narcotics," an official said.
"Promoting youth awareness and collective responsibility towards a drug‑free society, a formation under Spear Corps supported the District‑Level Drug‑Free Campaign organised by Akehda Amulung under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan at Agape Higher Secondary School, Kiphire, Nagaland. Around 180 students participated in various drug‑awareness competitions, while an informative audio‑visual presentation highlighted the harmful effects of drug abuse and the importance of a healthy, drug‑free lifestyle," the Spear Corps posted on X.
— IANS
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