Heroin-the dreaded drug is a rather new entrant in the hallucinogenic traditions (madak sanskriti) present in India while nicotine water (tuibuk) and opium (kani) are already a part of tribal cultural matrix. This micros copic case-study of the South District of Manipur highlights the use of various traditional and non-traditional psychotropic substances. The mind boggling findings have been supple mented by qualitative and quantitative data collected during extensive exploration in the region during 1969-1984. The study is multifaceted: it attempts to conceptualize human behaviour with respect to the intake of mind manifesting drug; it treats the subject from anthropological perspective; it studies the land and people from economic and sociological points of view; and, it unravels drug trafficking in the north-east border areas. It is a serious study on a serious subject but devoid of technical jargon and, as such, besides researchers, general readers shall also find it accessible.

SHIBANI ROY has been conducting field oriented and data based research to present anthropological insight in the polymix of Indian tribes which present a Kaleiodoscopic pattern of tribal culture. She has several research papers and articles to her credit besides five books. Her works include Status of Muslim Women in Northern India' (1979): Kolis of Talpad Vistar' (1983); Muslims: Bio-cultural Perspective' (1984); 'Dawoodi Bohras-An Anthropological Perspective' (1984); Dhodia Identity' (1985). SYED HASAN MUJTABA RIZVI took his M.Sc. in Anthropology with specialization in Physical Anthropology from University of Saugar and received advance training in Population Genetics and Hurnan Cytogenetics from University of Delhi. His works include Muslims Bio cultural Perspective' (1984); 'Dhodia Identity' (1985).

The intake of Heroin and alike psychotropic, psychoactive and psychomimetic substances procured either directly from the nature or by chemical synthesis, has recently attracted the attention of audio-visual media which by its inherent inflatory nature has brought forth an undue awareness among the masses. While studying the use of traditional psychotropic substances such as, Cannabis and Opium among various tribes and castes and communities of greater Indian culture, the authors were confronted with the knowledge and acceptance of hallucinogenic substances in socio-religious context in India, traditionally. Whereas recent trends depict a contrasting role of these hollucinogens, a microscopic study represented a unique situation in the South district of Manipur where a high percentage of tribal youth were found to be indulging in the intake of Heroin--the 'dreaded drug' of the affluent societies of the technologically advanced countries. A research design emerged with the prime objective to bring forth the madak-sanskriti or hollucinogenic traditions present in India. The case study of the South district of Manipur represents Heroin intake not only as an impending problem of the area and its people but as a new entrant in the vishtatva of their age-old madak sanskriti wherein the intake of tuibuk (nicotine water) and kani (opium) is a part of cultural matrix.

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