NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday gave a clarion call to every family, NGO and spiritual organisation to unite under the Nasha Mukt Yuva Abhiyan for a comprehensive 100-week nationwide anti-drug campaign.
In his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort, the prime minister highlighted substance abuse as a “severe national crisis”.
“Drug abuse is becoming a major crisis for the country and its young people. A ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’ or Drugs-Free India must be a collective responsibility for all of us,” he said.
The prime minister, who had virtually launched the national campaign on August 2, said, “For the sake of our bright future, our younger generation must be strong, and the strength of our youth must be harnessed for the progress of our country.”
Therefore, he said, in recent days, volunteers of My Bharat, NGOs across the country, social and cultural organisations, and spiritual leaders have come together to launch a 100-week programme for a Drugs-Free India.
“I want to tell every family: you too should become a part of this campaign, join it and come forward to help fulfil the dream of a Nasha Mukt Bharat,” he added.
Pitching yoga, Ayurveda, India’s holistic healthcare traditions and its creative industries as key elements of the country’s soft power, Modi said, “Today, yoga has connected the entire world with India. Yoga is becoming a source of energy for the world and an important reason for the trust that people place in Bharat.”
Placing India’s soft power as the seventh stream of his ‘Sapta Dhara’ vision for building a developed India, he said, “India’s soft power is a great strength.”
He also highlighted India’s spiritual centres and holistic healthcare, saying the country’s capabilities in the sector could be taken to the global stage through initiatives such as ‘Heal in India’.
Detailing the life changing impact of powerful welfare initiatives, the prime minister highlighted the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), which has extended free medical coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh to senior citizens above 70 years and officially saved poor and middle class families an estimated Rs 2 lakh crore in crushing medical bills.
“Under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, even the elderly above 70 years of age are getting free medicines up to Rs 5 lakh. Crores of families have got a huge facility due to this and because of this Ayushman card, Rs 2 lakh crore which was to be spent on medicines and operations, has been saved for my families, they are poor families, they are middle class families, they have received such significant support!” he said.
The Nasha Mukt Yuva Abhiyan aims to inspire youth to stay away from substance abuse and encourage them to become ambassadors of positive social change in their communities.
Under the campaign, weekly activities will be organised every Sunday across the country to promote awareness and encourage public participation in building a drug free society. The activities will include sports events, walkathons, meditation sessions, cultural programmes, nukkad nataks, discussion forums, art competitions and community engagement programmes.
The initiative seeks to further strengthen community participation by bringing together educational institutions, youth organisations, civil society groups, industry bodies and spiritual organisations on a common platform to create a collective movement against substance abuse.
The programme will witness participation from youth across the country at more than 10,000 locations.
