ITANAGAR : Governor Lt Gen KT Parnaik (Retd.) on Sunday participated in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s virtual interaction with youth during the launch of the Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan from Lok Bhavan here and called for a sustained, community-driven campaign against substance abuse.
The Prime Minister launched the 100-week nationwide Jan Bhagidari campaign, addressing more than one crore young people from over 10,000 locations across the country, including educational institutions and youth centres in Arunachal Pradesh. The initiative highlighted the role of youth in building a drug-free, healthy and developed India under the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.
Following the virtual interaction, the Governor held discussions with officials and proposed organising ‘Nasha Mukt Street Shows’ every Sunday across the state for the next 100 days to generate public awareness and mobilise communities, particularly the youth, against drug abuse.
Advocating a grassroots-driven strategy, he called for adopting a ‘Detect-Counsel-Prevent-Skill’ approach to tackle substance abuse. He urged Gaon Burahs, community elders and Panchayat leaders to identify vulnerable youth, counsel affected families and help prevent drug abuse at the village level.
The Governor also suggested involving Self-Help Groups in rehabilitation and recovery initiatives at the circle level and proposed appointing recovered youth as Anti-Drugs Ambassadors (ADA) to motivate and guide others towards a drug-free life.
Highlighting the need for a multi-pronged strategy, he stressed skill development, productive youth engagement and greater participation in games and sports as effective preventive measures. Referring to the recently launched Rupa Football League–Independence Cup Football Tournament, themed ‘Say No to Drugs, Yes to Football’, he said sports can play a significant role in steering young people away from substance abuse.
The Governor also emphasised the use of technology and intelligence-based surveillance to identify drug trafficking routes, networks and distributors.
Calling for strict enforcement of the law, he said those involved in drug-related offences must be dealt with firmly under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and other relevant laws to safeguard the future of the nation’s youth.
