Save Manipur from the misguided drug Policy

[Guest guest]

Dear e FORUM,

I am a free Lance AIDS/Drugs educator from Manipur.

This is a request to this FORUM to help the people of Manipur from the

misguided 'so call Drug Policy' for Manipur. Most the NGOs involve in drafting

are all the same old NGOs who are Implementing Drug De-addiction Centres. Most

of them are working for the last one decade without bringing in any changes or

benefit to the drug users population. They, with the Manipur Social Welfare

Department knowingly or unknowingly bringing out of the Blue a policy paper

draft called as the third draft. There are lots of NGOs who really work with

the Drug Users with some impact in the Society in Manipur but as I was told they

were excluded from the drafting of this drugs policuy. It seesm that the members

of this drafting committe are only only from the NGOs who got fund from the

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MOSJE).

So, I requested the the people of the country to please save Manipur and advise

these people to the right direction (From the steroetype thinking, the need

for local participation and the participation of drug uses in drug policy

making). They are bring in many people which we never heard in Manipur before.

Please do see the constituent members which is given below.The so called

Management Committee of Manipur State Alcohol and Abuse Prevention Authority

(MSADAPA):-

The Department of Social Welfare, Youth Affairs and Sports(YAS), Regional

Resource and Training Centre(RRTC), Federation of Indian NGOs on Drug Abuse

Prevention(FINGODAP), Manipur Chapter, Department of Health Services, Manipur

State AIDS Control Society(MSACS), Education Department, Nehru Yuva Kendra

Sangathan (NYKS), Board of Secondary Education Manipur(BSEM), Council of Higher

Secondary Education Research and Training(SCERT), Print and Electronic Media and

Manipur University(MU) are under the so called Manipur State Alcohol and Drug

Abuse Prevention Authority(MSADAPA).

Thanking you

Your Sincerely,

Kh.Manihar

E-mail: <khomanihar@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear friends,

What actually happen in Manipur is that these kind of people are always a good

actors and they have their own political backing and they always wanted to take

the credit and the fund. Look or ask anybody what this people have done for the

state of Manipur. See how the AIDS Control of Manipur is doing - always putting

up their own agendas before anything happen. As I have been a concern citizen I

try to observe things implemented by these people - the result is always Zero

nothing change.

What I mean to say is that if they wanted to frame a policy than it much be

people oriented(including the vulnerable group or the Drug users) and this much

comes from these people.Why they wanted a very sensitive policy to be frame

secretly and wanted to pass it from the back door ???

The department who is involved doesn't even know what are the drugs available in

the state.I don't know how they got convinced by this vested interest people.

May I had a suggestion -An independent evaluation is required for the entire

programs which had been implemented.

The policy makers need to be serious on the program not necessarilly waiting for

their cut,if they wanted some change in the state.

This are all my veiw and observation. And I hope my Egroup friends will help the

situation of the State by reflecting the idea to our Govt.(both Central and

State).

Thanking you, Yours sincerely,

Kh.Manihar

E-mail:<khomanihar@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear Kh.Manihar,

As a North Easterner myself, I can understand your concern of the way certain

state agencies operate for their own vested interest-overlooking the needs of

the community, and as Asutosh rightly said, such is a deterrent factor for many

good upcoming NGOs, CBOs in the state seeking resources for new initiatives.

At this juncture I really do not know what could be the best option to counter

this at the community and state level given the present scenario, however a

major responsibility lies in the effectiveness of monitoring systems of donors-

be it at Govt, national and international level.

Let us accept that programme monitoring from donors have primarily been limited

to 'written reports' and 'out of state presentations' of achievements, while the

nonphysical monitoring have been justified and contented with, by the so called

conflict scenario in the state.

It is time for donors to 're-looked' at their own roles and its implications it

has had, and 're-worked' of their 'ways of working' (within a conflict cenario)

which will greatly prevent further deterioration of 'service delivery' to those

for who we are committed to 'bring change'

Thanks

phine

E-mail: Jzu@...