New Delhi/Dehradun: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched the ‘Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan’ (Drug-Free Youth for Developed India Campaign) through video conferencing. He said that India’s youth are the country’s greatest strength and protecting them from drug abuse is a shared national responsibility.
The Prime Minister described the illegal drug trade as part of the agenda of hostile forces seeking to weaken India’s youth. He said that more than one crore young people from over 28,000 locations across the country have joined the campaign.
Calling upon the youth to turn the movement into a nationwide mission, PM Modi said the next 100 Sundays would become 100 strong steps towards a Drug-Free India.
He added that the government is taking strict action against drug traffickers, with arrests increasing significantly compared to previous years and narcotics worth thousands of crores of rupees being seized. He also urged families not to hide cases of addiction but to help affected youngsters return to normal life through treatment and counselling.
As part of the campaign, sports competitions, walkathons, yoga sessions, meditation programmes, street plays, cultural events, and awareness activities will be organised every Sunday across the country. Outstanding volunteers and organisations will be honoured during the 50th, 75th, and 100th weeks of the campaign.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also participated in the programme and described the Prime Minister’s initiative as visionary. He said that a healthy, aware, and drug-free youth population is essential for building a Developed India. He added that the Uttarakhand government is continuously working towards the goal of a Drug-Free Uttarakhand through public awareness campaigns, effective law enforcement, and various anti-drug initiatives, and appealed to citizens to actively participate in the movement.
