GUWAHATI, June 10 ? The Mizoram Government has estimated that 779 young Mizo lives have been lost in the last 10 years because of drug abuse which has assumed alarming proportions in the hill State. Mizoram Health and Family Welfare Minister F Malsawma told The Assam Tribune here this morning that a section of illegal migrants from neighbouring Myanmar, which is closer to the infamous ?Golden Triangle?, had been engaged in smuggling and peddling of contraband drug in the hill State. The minister said, ?These notorious sections of migrants from Myanmar, who are into this illegal business of drugs and other contraband psychotropic substances, adopt a common method to lure youngsters into their trap. They first sell it very cheap so that the inquisitive young people can afford it from their pocket without much difficulty. When at a later stage the young addicts get hooked, they are made to cough up huge sums of money in lieu of drugs.?
The menace has been alarming in the State with many a household having been impoverished over the years for trying desperately to sustain the lives of drug addict young members in the family. Along with abuse of drug, the Mizo youngsters have taken to abuse of sedatives available in the drug stores.
The minister informed that to tackle the menace, the Mizoram Government had, of late, extended the Assam Drug Control Act, 1950 to the State. He further informed that the level of coordination among the Mizoram State police and Central enforcing agencies had been geared up to check proliferation of drug abuse in the state. ?This is the heaviest price we have to pay for having a border with neighbouring Myanmar. Earlier, contraband drugs smuggled from Myanmar through the hill State used to find its way to the outside world through Bangladesh but today a certain amount of these contraband is consumed within the State,? he added.
However, he informed that there was a positive side vis-a-vis infiltration from neighbouring Myanmar. Mizo farmers along the border with Myanmar, get cheap field labourers and domestic help from amongst these infiltrators. The minister said that all the political parties of Mizoram would have to evolve consensus for stopping infiltration from across the Myanmar border.
Meanwhile, the Mizoram Government has chalked out a plan to encourage border trade with Myanmar and Bangladesh through the official channel. Two border trade points are under construction at Zoukhawthar along the border with Myanmar and at Kawpuichhurah along the border with Bangladesh. The fund is being provided by the Government of India.