KCP warned transporters, traders, and warehouse owners of zero tolerance. “If found violating the ban, they must not expect any mercy”, says the proscribed outfit.
TFM Desk
The proscribed Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) has announced a sweeping, non-negotiable ban on the transport, trade, and consumption of smokeless tobacco products in Manipur, effective immediately.
The decision, outlined in press release issued on March 25 targets products such as Talab, Shikhar, and Bombay Paan Masala, citing dire health risks, economic exploitation, and social degradation.
Health Crisis Driven by Smokeless Tobacco
Citing research from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), published in The Lancet Oncology, the KCP highlighted that over 70% of oral cancer cases in the region are linked to gutka and khaini consumption. The party further referenced data from India’s National Cancer Registry Programme, noting Manipur’s cancer case growth rate has surged to 6.48% in 2025—nearly double the 2021 rate (3.51%) and triple the national average (2.45%). Internal studies by the KCP identified nitrosamines and arecoline, carcinogens found in smokeless tobacco, as primary drivers of cancers affecting the mouth, tongue, throat, esophagus, and pancreas.
Economic Drain and Social Degradation
The KCP accused “Bihari and Marwari traders” of profiting from a “super-massive black hole” in Manipur’s economy, siphoning over Rs 120 crore annually through the sale of these products. Meanwhile, the KCP warned that local consumers face “irreversible” health and financial harm. Socially, the party’s survey revealed alarming addiction rates among schoolchildren as young as 14, who unknowingly consume “slow poison” disguised as stimulants.
Existential Threats and Enforcement
The ban aligns with the KCP’s broader stance against “narco-terrorist elements”, whom the party blames for destabilizing the region. The press release issued by M. Punsiba Meitei, Secretary of Information & Public Relations, warned transporters, traders, and warehouse owners of zero tolerance: “If found violating the ban, they must not expect any mercy… the Party has got nothing more than bullets to do the talking.” The KCP urged public cooperation, calling on student bodies and local clubs to help enforce the ban. It also dismissed any possibility of negotiation, stating that dissenters would be branded “anti-people” and exposed through media campaigns.