Shillong: Substance abuse has become a growing concern in the northeast, particularly, Meghalaya, with the state grappling with inadequate infrastructure and a shortage of affordable rehabilitation centres. This has prompted Indigenous communities to unite to address the issue. Meghalaya is a state in the northeastern part of India, it is a Christian-dominated state consisting of three tribes – Khasi, Jaintia and Garo.
Earlier this year, the state government revealed that the number of drug users in Meghalaya had risen to approximately 3 lakh, a significant increase from the previous year’s figure of 2 lakh. The situation becomes even more alarming because the state received a meagre allocation of just Rs 1.3 lakh for the financial year 2021-22 under the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR).
To get a clearer understanding of the challenges on the ground, EastMojo reached out to local communities, NGOs, and individuals directly involved in the battle against addiction.
The Meghalaya Users Forum (MUF) a non-profit, non-political organization established to empower People Who Use Drugs (PUD) in Meghalaya have been making great efforts and they are using a holistic approach to fight against the harms associated with drug use.
MUF General Secretary, Barry Leslie Kharmalki explained that there are three pillars of drug use response: supply reduction, harm reduction, and demand reduction. All three, of course, have their own challenges. Stigma and punitive policies, for example, often hinder harm reduction efforts, despite their proven success in reducing HIV/AIDS transmission and overdose deaths.
MUF was founded on October 29, 2019, after a consultation with former drug users and support from the Indian Drug Users Forum and Meghalaya State Network of Positive People, MUF works to promote the rights and dignity of PUD. It advocates for their meaningful involvement in policymaking and program development, particularly in areas like HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, Non-Communicable Diseases, Tuberculosis, and drug treatment. MUF has its roots in a long history of advocacy by its members, who have been championing the rights of drug users since 2008.
MUF is affiliated with the Indian Drug Users Forum, a national network that represents drug users across all Indian states, with its head office located in New Delhi.
MUF’s mission is to create a platform for PUDs to have a voice in decision-making processes that affect their lives. The organization aims to build grassroots networks at the district level, enhance advocacy for access to quality health services, and collaborate with like-minded groups for effective participation in global, national, and state-level drug use responses. MUF seeks to challenge discriminatory laws and policies that criminalize drug users, focusing on securing their human rights and access to essential health services.
President of Seng Longkmie (Women’s Group) Madanrting locality, Anita Nongkhlaw also plays a role in combating the issue of substance abuse. ‘Seng longkmie’ is a constituted body of all the females within the community who come together for the upliftment, and betterment of the social well-being of the people within the locality.
Nongkhlaw belongs to a locality which is the hotspot of drugs in the East Khasi Hills District of Meghalaya state.
Nongkhlaw shared that the community in Madanrting has been actively involved in efforts to curb both drug trafficking and abuse. However, despite their relentless efforts, eradicating the problem remains a significant challenge. “It’s next to impossible to eradicate this. We’ve implemented some measures, like imposing stricter tenancy rules, as our locality has several tenants from outside the state.
We’re working to make the rules stricter for everyone—not targeting any specific community, but ensuring that people from all backgrounds adhere to regulations. The Dorbar (traditional community councils) is also keeping track of every tenant who enters our locality, and we are being more vigilant about the movement of people within and around the area, working closely with the police,” Nongkhlaw explained.
This community-driven approach, combined with the efforts of organizations like MUF, underscores the commitment of local groups to tackle the complex issue of substance abuse, despite limited resources and ongoing challenges.
Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian Assembly (KJP) Counselor Shem Marbaniang has been counselling people from all walks of life on different kinds of addiction for over 20 years now. Marbaniang counsels not only in one locality in Shillong City but three other localities. He is also contributing to the New Life Rehab Centre.
MUF general secretary’s opinion is that in the Khasi society, differing views on addiction create challenges in addressing the issue. Some communities show empathy, but their silence hampers progress, while others see addiction as a moral failure, fostering stigma that prevents people from seeking help.
Stating the key issues, Kharmalki pointed out about ‘Empathy in Silence’ “Some communities empathize with those struggling with addiction but remain silent to avoid social conflict. This silence allows more judgmental views to dominate, hindering meaningful conversations and progress. There is also the ‘Moral Interpretation of Addiction’. In many Khasi communities, addiction is seen as a moral failing, not a health issue. This stigmatizes individuals, making it harder for them to seek help and creating barriers to open discussion,” explained Kharmalki.
He also added that the stigma around addiction leads to social exclusion and isolation, preventing individuals from seeking support.
“The fear of being labelled or rejected leads families to conceal the issue, preventing them from taking proactive steps to get help or protect their loved ones. This is compounded by community vigilantism, where individuals or groups take matters into their own hands, sometimes leading to violence, abuse, or even deaths among drug users in rehabilitation centres,” stated Kharmalki.
Counsellor, Shem Marbaniang, who has personally battled addiction, began drinking at a young age, and his substance use worsened over time. “As a musician, music and substance abuse go hand in hand. We didn’t have heroin back then, so we mixed beer, wine, and medicine. Later, everything would go blank, and I didn’t even remember how I got home. I ended up hurting a lot of people,” he recalled.
In 1993, Marbaniang attempted suicide but was saved after being rushed to the hospital. Though successful in his government job, he struggled when away from work. With the support of his parents, church members visited his home, holding prayer services and offering counseling. “I felt an instant connection. Praying and turning to God helped me. I began attending church and envisioned myself as a counsellor,” he shared.
In 2003, Marbaniang resigned and became a voluntary mission worker. He often tells his clients, “In my days, there were no rehabs, psychiatrists, or counsellors. It was a lone man’s battle, but now times have changed.”
A member of MUF, Isaac has been clean for 2 years now. He was a drug user for 4 years. Isaac started using drugs at the age of 18.
“I started drinking alcohol at a very young age and because of my tolerance level, I grew tired of alcohol. I was looking for my next high and I kept graduating through substances. I went from alcohol to weed then mixing it, then pills and eventually moved to heroin,” recalled Isaac.
Similarly for Isaac, turning to God was his biggest help since it directed him to find this community that he is in right now, Support Group of Narcotics Anonymous.
“This is a lifelong disease, so I can’t forget that I am an addict even though I am two years clean now I still call myself an addict because the disease never leaves. It stays forever so I have to be reminded and these groups remind me and help me stay clean,” said Isaac.
Asked if he got help from the community, Isaac mentioned “I got help from community members who were drug addicts and rehabs run by recovering addicts. In terms of an addict talking to a counsellor who is not an addict he won’t be able to relate, so, most addicts will feel hopeless.”
Relating to stigma, Isaac felt that it is still there and the rejection from society towards a drug user. “When a user comes forward with problems, they judge and lecture him. Stigma should not be there because a person fighting substance abuse is not mad or bad. As long as society sees this section of people as bad the social reintegration will be harder…in my experience, I didn’t want to be part of the society since they outcast me,” said Isaac.
He also mentioned that there are faith-based recoveries, like the divine intervention but his personal experience found that the biggest discrimination was in the church.
“Even when they prayed they used words which made me feel bad. So peer support is far better. That’s why I chose this support group. Even when I was involved with the church I could not stay clean because they still treated me like an outsider. I went to rehab once the moment I came out I had lots of temptations but because of the support group I did not relapse till now,” said Isaac.
Anita Nongkhlaw, president of Seng Longkmie (women’s group) expressed her concern about the lack of rehabilitation centres in the state. She mentioned that abusers are constituted of the rich and the poor.
“The user coming from a rich family background will not face any difficulty in getting a good rehabilitation treatment, whereas the person from a poor family cannot get that treatment. This is a major concern for us,” mentioned Nongkhlaw.
She added that drug abuse has become a great concern not only for the women’s group but the entire people in the state as a whole. “We have seen drugs have spread like wildfire. We as a community are fighting hard to curb it, But, it is next to impossible as it has been enhanced to such an extent, that I feel the government has to play a major role along with the traditional heads, residents of the state and the communities,” stated Nongkhlaw.
When asked about the stigma and discrimination around drug abuse affecting individuals seeking help, Nongkhlaw stressed the need for people around to understand that drug users are not criminals, they are sheer victims of drug abuse.
“If we look at them as a criminal it will be wrong on our path. We have to look at them as victims needing help from all sections of the community. Once we have this kind of mindset I feel more and more youths who have fallen into this trap will not shy away from seeking help from the community” added Nongkhlaw.
MUF general secretary also emphasized the reintegration challenges faced by users after completing rehab. He said that individuals face stigma, lack of employment opportunities, and difficulty reintegrating into their community. “There’s little follow-up support, increasing the risk of relapse,” mentioned Barry Kharmalki.
He added that in the earlier years, rehab centres initially dealt primarily with alcohol addiction, as drug use was less prevalent. Earlier centres operated with basic facilities, often relying on religious or charitable initiatives rather than structured therapeutic methods.
“Now in the current scenario, there’s a growing understanding of addiction as a health issue, but stigma remains deeply rooted, slowing societal change,” said Kharmalki.
To tackle the situation of the rise of drug use in the state, the government has come up with various initiatives like the Meghalaya Drug Policy and the Drug Reduction Elimination and Action Mission (DREAM) mission.
However, initiatives like the DREAM mission have been criticized for not involving enough experts in the fields of addiction treatment, mental health, and community development.
“A key issue is the lack of involvement of drug-using communities in policy development. In programs like DREAM and the Meghalaya Drug Policy, the voices of people directly affected by substance abuse, such as people who inject drugs (PWID) or those in recovery, are often excluded. Their insights are vital for creating effective, practical policies. Excluding them leads to a disconnect between the policies and the needs of those they aim to help. Active participation from these communities is essential for developing tailored, successful solutions,” stated MUF’s general secretary.
The rising tide of substance abuse in Meghalaya, compounded by insufficient infrastructure and a shortage of affordable rehabilitation centres, continues to challenge the state and its communities. However, organizations like the Meghalaya Users Forum (MUF) and local groups such as Seng Longkmie are working tirelessly to address the issue. Despite the efforts of these grassroots initiatives, significant hurdles remain, including societal stigma, a lack of resources, and the need for better government support. To make lasting progress, the government must prioritise the voices of those directly affected by addiction, incorporate expert perspectives into policy, and foster a more empathetic approach to substance abuse.
This story has been published as part of the AIPP-EastMojo Fellowship 2024
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