ITANAGAR : Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt Gen K T Parnaik (Retd) on Thursday called for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to eradicate substance abuse, urging educational institutions, families, healthcare professionals, law enforcement agencies and civil society to join hands in making the fight against drugs a nationwide people’s movement.
Stressing that every young life lost to addiction is a loss of national potential, he said every campus, district, sports field and village must become a centre of awareness and prevention.
Addressing a virtual conference on ‘Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat’, organised by Lok Bhavan Itanagar, in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre (NIC), the governor said substance abuse poses a serious threat not only to individual health but also to education, productivity, social harmony and national development, an official statement said.
The conference was attended by vice chancellors of government and private universities, senior officials of the health, education, sports & youth affairs, social justice & empowerment and tribal affairs departments, deputy commissioners, superintendents of police and Red Cross volunteers.
Parnaik said a Nasha Mukt Bharat is not merely about eliminating drugs but about encouraging healthy choices, informed decision-making, supportive families and resilient communities.
He warned that addiction destroys not only individuals but also their families and weakens society.
Describing the youth as the country’s greatest strength, the governor advocated a comprehensive strategy centred on prevention, awareness, technology-driven monitoring and outreach, and skill development programmes to help recovered individuals reintegrate into society with dignity.
He proposed five major interventions to strengthen the anti-drug campaign, including setting up anti-drug cells and counselling facilities in every university, district-level anti-drug task forces with early warning systems, promoting sports as an anti-drug movement, expanding community-based counselling, rehabilitation and de-addiction services, and launching a ‘Nasha Mukt Tribal Youth Movement’ through local languages, community participation and village-level volunteers.
The governor also urged students, particularly those pursuing medicine, nursing, pharmacy, psychology and public health, to become ambassadors against substance abuse by contributing to awareness, prevention, treatment, research and evidence-based policymaking.
Highlighting the need for greater research in addiction medicine, mental health and behavioural sciences, he said policies should be guided by scientific evidence.
Reaffirming his commitment as chief rector of Rajiv Gandhi University and Chancellor of Arunachal Pradesh University, Parnaik said every educational institution must become a drug-free campus and called upon all stakeholders to transform the Nasha Mukt Bharat campaign into a true Jan Andolan in pursuit of a healthier, stronger and Viksit Bharat by 2047. (Source: PTI)
