Re: Drug pilcy in Manipur

[Guest guest]

Dear e-forum members

The comments from Mr. Kh. Manihar is an eye-opener for personnel and agencies

who are closely observing the developments vis-a-vis drug abuse prevention

efforts being undertaken in the north east India since the last one decade or

so. It is to accept that any policy should be based on a popular consensus

because now it is time to combate the drug issue in the region, as anywhere else

from a developmental perspective so as to pave way for an effective and

sustainable policy once it is adopted by the government.

Here gaian, it should be critically noted that there is always conflict of

interests in the region, particularly in Manipur whenever a new development

comes up. The competition, rather rivalry among NGOs in Manipur is

uncompromisingly so steep that often people cannot understand the real cause of

the issue (conflict). I had the opportunity to be associated and understand the

situation and responses in the region in my capacity as an independent

consultant for UN and bilateral agencies working in the region. We cannot deny

the fact that a new trend of groupism among the NGOs in the name of networking -

a dangerous trend, a mechanism by which some older generation NGOs are trying

(successfully or unsuccessfully) to monopolize the funding pattern in the

region.

The trend mercilessly put weaker or newer NGOs succumbed to the whims and

dictates of these stronger NGOs whereby inhibiting the potentialities,

innovations, good intentions and visions of many new NGOs. In fact, many of

these new generation of NGOs came out to work for the issue with a new zeal of

transparency and commitment – which the older NGOs perceive as a threat to their

scheme of converting the voluntary sector into enterprises. It is the most

unfortunate and dangerous threat in the voluntary movement in the region, this

is the real threat, not the policy from which the state is to be saved.

Asutosh Roy, PhD

E-mail: <dr_asutoshroy@...>