Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Monday asked the youth of the country to unite and fight against drug addiction, terming the menace as “one of the stumbling blocks for India to achieve its full potential”.
“India is moving forward in the direction of becoming one of the superpowers of the world. But, there are some limitations which are preventing us from achieving our true potential. Drug addiction is one such limitation,” he said. Singh was interacting with National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets and youth at an event organised by the ministry of social justice and empowerment to create awareness about drug addiction.
“Despite having all qualities, our country has not yet been able to stand in the line of developed countries, as there are many people, especially the youth, who are in the grip of drugs. Youth is the future of the country. They are the cornerstones of the nation. If their present is intoxicated, their future can be easily guessed. We need to wedge a fight against drugs as we did for our Independence,” Singh said.
He urged the NCC cadets to form a group of 3-4 cadets and try to reach out to the youth addicted to drugs, informing them about the ill effects of drug use. He asked them to first gain knowledge about the harmful effects of drug use and how to easily approach de-addiction centres set up by the government in various places. “Through this, the cadets will be able to help those who wish to free themselves from the clutches of drugs. Our NCC cadets are in a way another avatar of our armed forces. If our forces are protecting the country from external enemies, then our NCC cadets can protect the country from internal enemies like drugs,” Raksha Mantri said.
{{/usCountry}}He urged the NCC cadets to form a group of 3-4 cadets and try to reach out to the youth addicted to drugs, informing them about the ill effects of drug use. He asked them to first gain knowledge about the harmful effects of drug use and how to easily approach de-addiction centres set up by the government in various places. “Through this, the cadets will be able to help those who wish to free themselves from the clutches of drugs. Our NCC cadets are in a way another avatar of our armed forces. If our forces are protecting the country from external enemies, then our NCC cadets can protect the country from internal enemies like drugs,” Raksha Mantri said.
{{/usCountry}}Union social justice and empowerment minister Virendra Kumar called upon the NCC cadets to be the harbingers of the drug de-addiction campaign and said that it is their responsibility to help the government and society in tackling this serious problem.
“I hope that with the cooperation of all of you, we will make India a drug-free country. This revolution should not be quelled, it should get more energy and it should ignite the flame which will fight the vices of drug abuse,” Kumar said.