“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” – Deuteronomy 30:19
For a long time, I have carried the thought of writing on this subject as it is close to my heart, because the harm caused by poppy cultivation in Manipur is too deep to remain silent. I have seen how it touches families, weakens communities, and takes away the future of many young people.
The number of rehabilitation centres is increasing, and the number of people, especially the youth, who do not want to live anymore, as they cannot live an everyday life without drugs. The rise of rehabilitation centres tells only part of this painful story.
The pain lives not only in homes broken by addiction, but also in forests cut down and soil stripped of life. Poppy farming brings a quick income, but its human and environmental costs are substantial.
The floods in Manipur demonstrate the fragility of our land. Forests cleared for poppy have left hills bare, rivers choked with silt, and people exposed to disaster. Without change, we risk losing both our land and our youth, while the damage from poppy may last forever. Yes, even though conflicts may pass, the damage from poppy could remain permanent. Behind these statistics are youth who have lost hope, who cannot imagine life without drugs, who no longer want to live at all.
It is worrying to think about the recent floods in Manipur, which have occurred twice this year alone, highlighting the fragility of our environment. Hills that once held the rain now collapse, and rivers overflow with force. Poppy plantations are a primary contributor to deforestation. Illegal forest clearing has stripped the hills, silted the rivers, and left people vulnerable to disaster, creating a human tragedy. This crisis is both human and environmental, and the warning signs are unmistakable. Without change, we risk losing our land and our youth, the nation’s future strength.
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Many will say this is due to climate change, which is not ruled out, as it is a contributing factor. However, this is not solely due to a natural disaster; it is also a human-made tragedy.
The Hidden Costs of Illicit Agriculture/Horticulture
When a farmer plants poppy, they plant more than a crop; they participate in a chain of destruction that reaches far beyond their field. Yes, they should reject any lucrative offer in the chain, regardless of the amount. It is more important that they should think twice if such offers come their way. That single deceptive decision contributes to the death of someone’s child through overdose, the collapse of hillsides during floods, and the weakening of communities that have survived for generations.
Manipur’s hills once wore a crown of forests that protected both soil and people during heavy rains. Poppy farming has torn away that crown for short-term profit, leaving our landscape too weak to withstand nature’s tests. The loss of natural water retention has turned seasonal challenges into existential threats.
The transformation is stark and measurable. Rivers that once flowed steadily now surge unpredictably, carrying unprecedented loads of silt from eroded hillsides. The loss of natural water retention has escalated seasonal floods into large-scale disasters.
A Crisis That Undermines Global Development Goals
Poppy cultivation in Manipur triggers a chain of problems that block progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The crisis is local in scale, but if left unchecked, it will reflect a global pattern. It is not only an environmental problem, nor is it only a health or economic issue, but rather all these combined in a cycle of destruction.
Fighting Back: The War on Drugs as Development Strategy
The “War on Drugs” campaign, launched in 2018 under Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and continued today, is one of India’s most comprehensive strategies against drug cultivation. It combines enforcement with development measures to address root causes and promote sustainable livelihoods. Let us hope and pray that this mission is achieved to the benefit of our society, environment, and future generations.
A Holistic Approach Aligned with Global Goals
The sustainable development approach treats environmental protection, poverty reduction, and health improvement as interconnected goals that must advance together. Recent policies emphasize watershed management and forest conservation, aligning with international development targets.
Lasting change requires community engagement. Success depends on viable alternatives for livelihoods, backed by government programs and civil society partnerships that protect resources and promote sustainability.
A Moral Choice: The Time for Change is Now
The choice before our farming communities goes beyond economics. It is a moral decision that will shape Manipur’s future. Each farmer who plants alternatives instead of poppy chooses life over death, community over crime, and care for the environment over destruction. They decide to heal rather than harm, to build rather than destroy. The recent floods exposed the price of prioritizing short-term profit over land care. The addiction crisis shows the cost of neglecting our duty to safeguard the youth, which comes at a significant cost to a nation as well. As Scripture reminds us: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” (Galatians 6:7). We are now reaping the consequences of decades of destructive choices. However, we also have options to make for the future.
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A Divine Mandate for Faithful Stewardship
At this critical moment in Manipur’s history, we must remember our calling as faithful stewards of God’s creation. Scripture reminds us in Jeremiah 1:12: “The Lord said to me, ‘You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.'”
Just as God watches over the fulfilment of His word, He watches over our choices regarding His creation. When we destroy forests for short-term gain, poison our youth with drugs, and allow our communities to suffer from preventable disasters, we fail in our divine calling as stewards of the earth He has entrusted to our care.
The Choice Before Us
Manipur stands at a critical juncture, as the recent floods have exposed the fragility of its environment. The spread of addiction has laid bare the suffering of our families. Yet within this crisis lies an opportunity for change.
Breaking poppy cultivation means more than law enforcement – it means saving forests, protecting watersheds, and giving our youth a future free from drugs. It means farmers can choose crops that heal the land instead of harming it. It means communities can choose unity over division and work together for positive change.
The future of Manipur depends on the choices we make today. Sustainable farming and responsible land stewardship are not just practical necessities – they are moral imperatives that choose life, hope, and stability over destruction.
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God has blessed Manipur with natural beauty, rich cultures, and fertile land. The Bible declares: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” – Psalm 24:1. Choosing faithful stewardship over illegal cultivation honours His creation and secures a lasting legacy for future generations.
(The views expressed are personal. The author can be reached at chongboi4community@gmail.com. She was the founding Convenor of Thadou Community International and the Convenor of the First State Level Assam Thadou Hun 2025)