Assam Government’s War on Drugs: Strategic and Socio-Economic Dimensions

The sale, purchase and consumption of illegal Narcotics/Drugs is a global phenomenon that poses a paramount challenge to mankind. Drug Trafficking and abuse not only destroy the immediate consumer but destroys entire families, generations and at times even stifle the prospects of an entire Nation. According to the World Drug Report 2022, which is published annually by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC) estimated that globally (2020), there were around 209 million users of Cannabis, 61 million users of Opioids, 34 Million users of Amphetamines, 21 million users of Cocaine and 20 million users of Ecstacy. Whereas trade-wise, the Illegal Drug trade constitutes to be third the largest business with an estimated turnover of 500 billion USD, next to petroleum and Arms Trade. However, in the case of organised crime, drug trafficking occupies the top spot followed by the heinous crime of Human Trafficking. It is also important here to note that most of these cross-border organised crimes enjoy a symbiotic relationship with each other and have a cumulative estimate of 2.1 trillion USD per year i;e 3.5 per cent of world GDP (2009).

Now coming to India, the entire façade of Drug Trafficking poses a unique challenge as India remains sandwiched between two biggest narcotics-producing regions, i;e the golden crescent and the golden triangle. The golden triangle region is described as the confluence of the Mekong river and the Ruak river which produces almost 80 per cent of the world’s total heroin production. Subsequently, Myanmar also shares an international border with the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland and Manipur, which in turn shares interstate boundaries with the state of Assam, which is a gateway to the rest of India. This unique geographical position of Assam makes it a major transit hub for the majority of narcotics produced in the golden triangle region and destined for distribution in the rest of India or way forward to other countries. To give a perspective on the scale of drugs being trafficked through the state of Assam, consider this— a whooping Rs. 1038.11 crores worth of drug was busted by Assam Police just between May 2021 to November 2022, thus making the streets of Assam and India comparatively cleaner and safer.

The above visualisation of the total number of cases registered and persons arrested by Assam police under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1985 gives a clear perception of the relentless pursuit of Assam police. Especially from 2021, an exceptional trend is observed where a clear spike is police action is witnessed as compared to previous years. This clear jump in the Assam Police action must undoubtedly be credited to the Himanta Biswa Sarma government, which has made its policy clear in terms of dealing with the menace of drug trafficking.

Moreover, the data for total seizures by Assam Police for narcotics substances like Ganja, Heroin, opium and codeine-based cough syrups from 2017 to 2022 also project a similar trend.

After assuming office in May 2021, Himanta Bishwa Sarma had reportedly undertaken a series of crucial meetings with the senior officers of the Assam Police force, to outline a course of action to fight the menace. As a result, within the first hundred days of Himanta Biswa Sarma government, drugs worth Rs 200 crores in the international market were busted by Assam police. GP Singh, the Special DGP in charge of Law & Order, Assam Police and the famous directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, has termed the Assam government’s war on drugs as Assam’s Blitzkrieg against the Drug menace—an approach which decisively underlines the tall morale and zeal of Assam police while combating the menace. According to Special DGP, GP Singh, the Team Assam is working in three verticals to deal with the menace of Drugs, one being demand reduction, the second being supply reduction and the third being harm reduction. While Supply reduction—where the primary focus is to choke the supply of drugs flowing into Assam through a multi-agency approach—is something that enforcement agencies and police forces are directly involved in, demand reduction on the other hand is something where the society at large is involved. It involves end consumers, their family  members and other departments /organisations like the social welfare department, the sports department etc. Lastly, according to GP Singh, harm reduction is an effort to contain the harm caused by drugs. He describes it as a stage where various departments and organisations involved in the drug de-addiction, like the health department, come together in efforts to rehabilitate drug consumers and slowly steer them away from drug consumption.

To give a perspective on the scale of drugs being trafficked through the State of Assam, consider the whooping amount of drugs worth Rs 1038.11 crores busted by Assam Police between May 2021 to November 2022, thus making the streets of Assam and India comparatively cleaner and safer

Another important aspect of Assam Police’s war on drugs is that it is not only making the streets of Assam safer, but making streets of the entire Indian Nation safer. The state of Assam is a major transit route for Narcotics coming from the golden triangle. Roughly 30 per cent of these Narcotics are consumed in the northeastern states, while a major chunk of it(almost 70 per cent) is distributed and consumed in mainland India. Therefore, the Himanta Biswa Sarma government is not only shouldering the responsibility of Making Assam free from drugs, but is making entire India safer.

The challenge in hand for the Assam Government, Assam Police, Assamese society and the entire Nation society at large is immense and gargantuan. While the police force braves the bullets, the the society at large must remain vigilant. It has to fight the physical menace of Drug Trafficking and remain vigilant to the propaganda war that will be fielded from time to time, assuming various means and tools to demotivate and deprive us of our right to live in a drugs free society. To fight a war that directly impacts every sphere of our society, be it cultural, social, economic or otherwise, it is our collective responsibility as a nation to work together. There are many who want us to fail this war, and very few who are willing to support our efforts. Sadly, we have seen what had become the state of affairs in the state of Punjab; it only makes one even more grateful to the men in uniform in Assam, and CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, the hard taskmaster.