New Delhi, July 22: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed on July 22 before the Supreme Court of India, highlighting the alarming spread of the infamous Golden Triangle into North East India, particularly Manipur, and the Golden Crescent into northern states.
The PIL was filed by Wahengbam Bhubon from Arapti Mayai Leikai, Imphal East, represented by advocates Ngangom Junior Luwang and Momota Devi Oinam at the Supreme Court of India. It raises a host of critical issues concerning India’s legal framework, administrative deficiencies in combating illicit cultivation and trading of Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances (NDPS), and the implementation of Alternative Development Programmes for illegal poppy cultivators.
Central to the PIL are demands for clarity on the accountability of local leaders known as Khulakpas and Ching Ningthous for illicit poppy cultivation in Unclassed Forests under the NDPS Act, 1985. It also seeks legal liability for government and Forest Department officials involved in illicit poppy plantations in Reserved and Protected Forests, emphasizing the need for thorough investigations.
Furthermore, the PIL addresses the inadequate implementation of the Alternative Development Programmes under India’s National Policy on Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances, 2012, and concerns over the illegal diversion of substances from licensed poppy cultivation regions in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh to the open market. It also highlights the challenges posed by illegal trading of such substances through the dark web and calls for stringent border security measures to curb cross-border trafficking.
The petition draws upon India’s international commitments to various conventions, parliamentary responses from Central Government ministers, research findings, UN committee reports, and media sources to underscore the urgency of judicial intervention in halting these disturbing trends.
Reports have indicated a significant prevalence of poppy cultivation, processing, and trading in North East India relative to its population size, with clandestine operations particularly concerning due to their potential impact on regional stability and public health.
The PIL also spotlights legal ambiguities, particularly in Manipur where the Manipur Land Revenue & Land Reforms Act, 1960, does not extend to hill areas, leaving unclear the legal responsibilities of Khulakpas and Ching Ningthous under traditional tribal laws. Despite the existence of the Manipur Hill Areas (Acquisition of Chiefs’ Rights) Act, 1967, there has been no governmental action to curtail land regulation rights of tribal chiefs, contrasting with practices in other North Eastern states.
