Imphal, Dec. 22 : Manipur’s opium war is taking centrestage, with a twist of Chinese history.
The All Manipur Anti-Drug Association, engaged in relentless fight against drug abuse in Manipur, has taken to the stage to educate the people.
Amada, an Imphal-based NGO, has four active district councils and 123 local councils.
This weekend, the association staged its first Shumang Leela — courtyard play — titled Opium War to a packed audience at Imphal’s Bhagyachandra Open Air Theatre, opening a new front in its battle against drug abuse.
The NGO hired one of the most sought after Shumang Leela groups, Peace Maker Artistes Association, and Shumang Leela director Birjit Ngangomba. The play is written by Jiten Ningthouja and sponsored by the Manipur Voluntary Health Association and Kripa Foundation.
It depicted how Lin Tse-hsii, a brilliant and highly moral Chinese official, led the fight against opium grown by the British in Imphal. Opium was shipped in tonnes by the East India Company to China in exchange for goods and tea manufactured in China.
The NGO is taking the lead in the fight against drug abuse and alcoholism since it came into existence on December 20 four years ago with the sole objective of stamping out the menace from the state.
The NGO earned credibility when Assam Rifles units handed over seized drugs and liquor to it to destroy.
The organisation’s birth coincided with Manipur experiencing serious health emergency because of HIV/AIDS, primarily because of drug abuse by using syringes.
Though the trend of drug addicts spreading HIV has steadily climbed down, the number of HIV and AIDS cases is on the rise in the state. According to the latest official statistics, 33,408 people tested positive out of 3,38,209 blood samples screened. Of them, 8,701 are female.
After rounding up drug pushers and users, Amada decided to produce the play as a part of its awareness campaign.
Shumang Leela is the oldest and most popular traditional theatre form of Manipur. As Shumang Leela attracts people from all walks of life, the NGO is hoping that through the play the message could reach out to the entire people of the state.
“Only when all of us are aware of its harmful impact and stand firmly against drugs we can stamp out drug abuse from Manipur,” president of the NGO, M. Padmini Leima, said.