Follow up action must to justify dismissal from service
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: January 23, 2023 -

Having tarnished the image of the police force, especially at a time when the entire state and central law enforcement agencies deployed in the state are trekking to the hostile remote locations to eradicate poppy plantations, the government's decision to terminate service of the five commando personnel arrested with narcotic drugs on January 16 is on expected lines.

With the opposition Congress party as well as concerned civil societies demanding harshest form of penalties against whoever found involved in drug peddling and poppy cultivation, dismissing the arrested five commando personnel from service would help in diluting the posers raised over the government's efficiency in addressing the drug menace.

There had been cases in the past of political figures either caught with drugs or suspected to be abetting proliferation of narcotic substances and police personnel suspended from service for involvement in drug peddling.

As almost of the culprits were either released on bail or absolved from drug smuggling charges, aspersions were cast on ethics of the legal practitioners for securing freedom of the accused persons as well as commitment of the establishment to track and nail the drug kingpins.

Thus, it could be safely stated that the chief minister's announcement during the statehood day celebration on Saturday to terminate the service of the drug dealer commandos would silence the critics to some extent even though such action is unlikely to subdue the demand for an impartial investigation by a central agency to identify and expose who is/are the mastermind or funders of the illegitimate but lucrative business.

Ever since the government intensified the anti-drug drives, there had been narratives from certain quarters that poverty, food insecurity and material needs are the drivers of illegal opium production in Manipur and raised posers that short-term measures taken up by law enforcement agencies, such as the forcible eradication of poppy cultivation, would be insignificant unless and until the government provides these farmers with sustainable alternative livelihoods unmindful of the fact the government has been pledging all possible support if the poppy growers chose legitimate sources of livelihood.

Arguably, broad-based development programmes to address economic and social issues of the poppy planters are being assured and extended too.

While there is substance in the contention that poverty is the main driving force for villagers in the hills to cultivate poppies, involvement of security personnel in transportation of narcotic substances and abetting the drug abuse situation is unpardonable for they have been trained and paid salaries from the public exchequer to not only serve the nation and society but also to respect law of the land and fight anti-social and anti-national elements.

Though it is but natural that dismissal from service of the five commando personnel would create serious financial problems for their dependents there is no other option left than making them face the music for undermining the government's efforts to save the society from the drug malaise.

Nevertheless, it is desired that the five cops or any arrested drug peddler be grilled to extract information and expose the drug lord(s) so that there is no suspicion on the government's initiatives to curb the drug menace.