The Meitei Alliance has urged the Prime Minister of India, the Union Home Minister and the Chief Minister of Manipur to take immediate and decisive action to eradicate illicit poppy cultivation in the state, describing it as a serious threat to national security, constitutional governance and the environment.
In an open memorandum dated 9 February 2026, the Alliance stated that Manipur’s prolonged crisis of violence, displacement and governance breakdown is being driven in large part by an entrenched narco-economy rooted in large-scale illegal poppy cultivation and cross-border drug trafficking.
Citing Manipur Police data, the memorandum said that 2,618 acres of illegal poppy plantations were destroyed between 2 November 2025 and 8 February 2026 across multiple hill districts. It said the scale and repeated resurgence of cultivation clearly point to organised criminal networks rather than subsistence farming. Based on conservative estimates, the Alliance claimed the destroyed crop represented narcotics worth several hundred crore rupees, with international value multiplying many times over.
The Alliance noted that despite the eradication of more than 19,000 acres of poppy fields since the launch of the War on Drugs in 2017, illicit cultivation has continued to reappear. It alleged that armed militant groups control large poppy-growing areas and that drug proceeds are being used to finance militancy and parallel power structures.
Warning of severe environmental damage, including deforestation, soil erosion and biodiversity loss, the memorandum said the narcotics economy is also fuelling violence, illegal immigration and erosion of the state’s authority.
Calling the situation a constitutional and security emergency, the Meitei Alliance demanded that illicit poppy cultivation in Manipur be declared a national security issue, sought the creation of a unified central task force, review of Suspension of Operations arrangements linked to narcotics, stronger Indo–Myanmar border management and transparent disclosure of enforcement outcomes. It said immediate action was essential to restore the rule of law and secure Manipur’s future.