MANIPUR IS TURNING INTO A POPPY HUB. WE CAN NO LONGER DENY THAT THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE HAS ALREADY REACHED OUR DOORSTEP It fills me with deep sorrow to see my beloved Manipur being turned into a poppy hub. Our once-lush forest areas are being devastated beyond recognition, while more locations with large-scale cultivation continue to be uncovered.

What is even more disturbing is the lack of visible action in recent times. Earlier, massive drives were carried out across the State to destroy poppy plantations. Today, despite fresh reports of large-scale cultivation, that same urgency is no longer visible. At this alarming rate, we are not just losing our green cover; we are destroying the future of generations to come. The spread of poppy cultivation also raises serious concerns about Manipur’s proximity to the Golden Triangle and the danger of our State becoming deeply entangled in the narcotics economy. I earnestly appeal to the@narcoticsbureau and the@moefcc , to take serious, urgent and decisive action before it is too late.

~ N. Biren Singh, Former CM, Manipur