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Attempts to control opium eating; poorly kept inspection bungalow at Merangkong |
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After a very heavy thunderstorm and rain which lasted half the night, the morning was still stormy and thunder about. I went back to Merangkong while the Sub-divisional Officer went to Mongsemdi. Merangkong has been applying to be put on the unrestricted opium list. At present one small khel is opium eating and all fresh opium eaters have to go and live there which they dislike intensely. Would it not be possible to compel the opium vendors of Nakachari, Amguri, Gileki, Nazira, Santok and other shops along the foot of the hills as well as, say, Jorhat and Sibsagar, to keep lists of all persons buying at their shops and of the quantity bought. It would then be possible in a year's time to reduce the rations of all shops which sold to Nagas by the amount shown on their lists and to forbid further supply by them to Nagas. If this were done we could open an opium shop in the Naga Hills on the registration and ticket principle and so control the consumption more effectually than we can do at present in this part of the Naga Hills. |
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The Merangkong Inspection Bungalow was swimming with water when I got there as the roof leaked badly "because the thatch was new". Before rethatching it no doubt leaked "because the thatch was old". When a storm got up again in the afternoon the wind blowing against the walls blew in the plaster from the ekra. Probably the plaster is new also. |
