Photo Courtesy: nenow
Imphal: Hundreds of students marched to the Board of Secondary Education Manipur office on Monday. The Manipuri Students’ Federation led the charge. They demand immediate changes to the state school curriculum. The group wants mandatory drug prevention education for students in Classes V through XII.
Protesters also targeted the State Council of Educational Research and Training office at Lamphelpat. They carried placards and shouted slogans against government inaction. The federation wants specialized textbooks and life skills training included, citing recommendations from the World Health Organization.
MSF president Hijam Roshan led the protest. He questioned the state’s commitment to its youth. During his address, he asked, “Are you letting drugs destroy Manipur’s future?”
The group claims they have asked for these changes for five years. They submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister on June 28, 2021. A follow-up request followed on June 15 of this year. No action happened. The federation points to the Magnitude of Substance Use in India 2019 report to highlight the growing crisis.
The current enforcement of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1985 has not stopped the flow. “Not a single day passes without drugs being smuggled into Manipur,” Roshan told reporters. The federation plans to ramp up agitation if the state and central governments stay silent.
The MSF has run its “Let’s Give Up Dangerous Drugs” campaign since 2020. They have hosted seminars and rallies to reach schools and colleges. Now, the Bishnupur District Committee is pushing the Zonal Education Officer to move their formal proposal to the Directorate of Education. They want this included under the National Education Policy 2020 frameworks.
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