Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has appealed to the Nation, especially the youth, to unite and fight against drug addiction, terming the menace as one of the stumbling blocks for India to achieve its full potential. He was interacting with National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets and youth at a function
‘An Interaction with NCC cadets and Pledge Against Drug Abuse’, organised by Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment in New Delhi on Monday. Cadets from all 17 State Directorates and youth from different parts of the country joined the event through video conferencing. The Raksha Mantri urged them to fight and eliminate drug addiction on the same scale as the country’s revolutionaries fought for the freedom struggle and ensured independence.
“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. 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” Singh said.
“Youth are 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 like we did for our Independence,” he added.
Elaborating more on the ill-effects of the drugs, Singh stated that it not only adversely affects the maintenance of law and order in society, but also gives rise to terrorist activities at national and international levels.
Rajnath Singh 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 exhorted them to first gain knowledge about the harmful effects of drug use as well as the how to easily approach de-addiction centres set up by the Government at various places.
