Didn’t know that there are pot smokers or Ganjuris among the womenfolk in the valley. Yet, there must be some truth in it as the information came straight from the horse’s mouth. We know, the use of intoxicants among women both married and unmarried in the valley has increased in recent times. Of course, Zarda paan and paan parag are quite popular among women in the valley while in the hills particularly in the south Khaini is widely used.
Like cigarettes, Zarda and other chewing tobacco varieties are addictive and they sell like hot cakes no matter the price. During times of scarcity either due to bandhs and blockades in the national highways or occasional drives by pressure groups, the price of chewing tobacco and Zarda besides betel leaves and nuts becomes quite prohibitive. The price of a Zarda paan shot up during the Covid-19 pandemic and it is still struggling to come down to the pre-Covid days. Interestingly, the rate however high does not deter those addicted to it either by the warnings and punishment or by the ghastly ads on tobacco products.
During the pandemic, student organisations and Meira Paibis of all hue used to carry out drives in the leikais to detect and seize people who hoard these tobacco items. But still, it did not lessen the usage. Like every addictive substance, women in most families become restless without a bite to begin the day and it is said everything becomes normal after a bite of the paan which is followed by household chores.
As regards consumption of alcohol among girls and women in the society, it was very rare in the past and it was shunned by the family and the society. In villages which produce the local brew, women are the official tasters as they are the ones who work on it and sampling it was encouraged. But these women brewers seldom go beyond the tasting. In recent times, binge parties have become quite a fad and alcohol mostly of the India Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) or beer are liberally consumed by girls and women in such gatherings. And it was mostly private gatherings. But, girls or married women taking a dare to drink like men-folk and creating scenes in public has become common images of which has come out on the social media.
On the other hand, drug abuse was quite common among the women also in the heydays of 80s and 90s before the onset of HIV/AIDS and those women usually end up as sex-workers to support the habit. Substance abuse including tablets had also become rather widespread among girls and young married women, owing to several factors.
But, unlike western societies smoking pot or Ganja or hashish is very rare among the female population in the state. Of course, during Shivaratri puja girls and women joined in smoking Ganja or consuming Ganja Bora as a way of joining in the fun. But it was very rare for women to continue with Ganja consumption.
Manipuri Ganja is quite famous both nationally and internationally. Many in power including high ranking police officials had benefited from Ganja smuggling. A few officers from central forces were also caught with their hands in the honey-pot. The special qualities of Manipuri Ganja had even brought big Pharma companies from outside the state for experimental farming and production of special medicines from it. Still then, nobody thought Ganja would also become a fad among the women-folk also till a voice recording became viral on the social media. People are already saying, the one on the other end of the recording must be someone in the know.
(The views expressed are personal)
