Neidonuo Angami
Vishü Rita Krocha
Kohima | July 15
An alarming rise in drug abuse among young people was a primary concern for Naga mothers in the late 1970s and the early 1980s. This pervasive phenomenon was breaking families apart and affecting the society as a whole, which subsequently led to the formation of Naga Mothers’ Association (NMA) in the year 1984. Following a series of discussion in the years that followed, NMA also set up one of the first rehabilitation centres in the North East—Mt Gilead Home at a rented house in Zubza, which was formally inaugurated on February 12, 1989. The Rehabilitation Centre later came under Kripa Foundation.
“The first thing NMA realised was the need to fight against drug trafficking,” Neidonuo Angami, one of the founding members recollects. She served as Secretary and President of NMA from late 1980s to mid-2000. She was also the administrator of the centre for many years besides serving as Kripa’s NE Coordinator and had an active role in setting up Kripa centres in Manipur, Meghalaya and Darjeeling.
At that time, heroin commonly known as ‘No 4’ was easily available from across the Golden Triangle which passes through the heart of Kohima and it became a common goal for mothers from all localities and villages in and around Kohima to fight against the use and sale of drugs in their respective areas.
In the process, NMA played a major role in apprehending many drug traffickers from different localities by assisting law enforcing agencies like the police and excise personnel. During the period, the kingpin was also arrested with the help of mothers in Dimapur while mothers in Khuzama not only assisted the Nagaland Police in manning the 1st Nagaland Check Gate but also collected a teacup of rice from every household and gave the police personnel to show their solidarity in the drive against this social menace.
In retrospection, Neidonuo Angami says, “we thought if supply is stopped, it would be okay without realising that so long as there is demand, it will be there.” While she has had many profound experiences and also drawn several lessons from tirelessly working on the issue, she also witnessed deaths from overdose in those years, which still remains a sad recollection to this day.
“I especially learnt a lot about addiction and that’s the biggest thing,” she goes on to say while terming the ‘problem’ as a ‘disease’. Towards this end, she emphasises that “first, we all have to accept the problem as it is and adds that, “we must recognise the depth of the disease.”
Dwelling further on the subject, she feels that “arresting high level drug traffickers is extremely important as it prevents the transfer of illicit drugs into hands of innocent young people.” The main agenda of these drug lords, she points out, “is to make maximum money without any moral responsibility,” and they contribute towards social evils, destruction of family and loss of life.
Stating that they work under extremely sophisticated networks and apply no moral responsibility in anything they do besides their obsession for money and power, she asserts that “they must be held responsible for their actions.”
Need for counselling & rehabilitation
On the other hand, many people who use drugs also tend to sell drugs in order to support their habit. These people, she highlights, are usually small retailers whose main agenda is to make enough money to support themselves.
“These peddlers need help. They need rehabilitation. They need counselling,” she affirms while elucidating that arresting them and putting them behind bars does not help in changing their lifestyles. Rather, she says, “sometimes it enables them to mingle more with hard-core users or traffickers and promoting them to even worse behaviours.”
Neidonuo Angami further emphasises that “supply reduction without demand reduction doesn't work.”
“We know from experience and we also know from science and other parts of the world dealing with drug problems,” she expresses in this regard. While some agencies are engaged in anti-trafficking activities, she asserts that “others, especially social organisations and health agencies must work equally hard to prevent demand for drugs and also reach out to drug users and their dysfunctional families with support and services.”
She strongly feels that when there is increase in arresting of drug traffickers, there should also be increase in drug users support programmes. In other words, she explains, “when there are massive arrests of drug traffickers, there should also be more budgets or resources for drug use prevention and treatment services.”
‘Drug use is a public health issue’
“Government must make policies and programmes that promote drug use prevention for young people,” she says while citing sports, music, entertainment, life-skills coaching, counselling or therapy services, education and social services that caters to needs of young people.
Stressing that mental health support is critical and must be ensured through awareness and services, she points out that trauma is a major factor that triggers drug use amongst young people. “Economic and social development services are also key elements in drug use prevention entrepreneurship and must be encouraged from a young age because it enables self-worth and self-confidence, which are two key elements in self-development,” she elucidates.
Substantiating this, she also emphasises that schools and churches must create safe space for young people hailing from dysfunctional homes while maintaining that “everyone in a society is responsible to keep drugs away from our children.”
“We must not take a backseat and expect agencies that are arresting traffickers to keep drugs away,” she articulates.
Reiterating that unless there is demand reduction, supply will always be there, she maintains, “We can't arrest our way out of the drug problem.”
She also asserts that police and law enforcers must also be made aware that primarily drug use is a public health issue; adding, “They must keep public health policies and practices even while exercising their jobs.”
We must all realize that drug use is a disease that can be treated, she maintains and expresses that “we must arrest the disease not the patient.”
Also speaking from experience, she relates, “We have learned that drug use is a family disease” which is why the whole family needs treatment and not only the users. Towards this end, she says, “we must ensure that our drug prevention and treatment services include family counselling and care.”
“Families of drug users often live in denial for shame and guilt. We must make our communities open and safe for families to open up and seek support and help. We must break away from shaming and being judgmental and try to be more compassionate and practice empathy”, she emphasises.
In the meantime, acknowledging that nobody understand drug use better that drug users themselves, she says, “people who are in recovery must have access to skills development including counselling and public speaking, and must be encouraged to take an active role in educating the society about drug use. They must be mobilised to manage prevention and treatment services.”
