Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan' (Drug-Free Youth for Developed India Resolution Campaign) via video conference, with participation from over 1 crore youth connected from more than 28,000 locations across India. The campaign aims to protect youth from drug addiction as essential for India's goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047, emphasizing the need for youth to remain healthy in body and mind, full of self-confidence, and free from drugs.
The initiative began as a pilot project in Kashi last year and has now expanded nationwide, incorporating scientific clarity, spiritual energy, blessings of saints, and cultural heritage. More than 125 spiritual organizations have joined the effort, along with social organizations and NGOs, culminating in the Kashi Declaration that prepared a roadmap for the campaign.
The 100-week campaign will feature weekly activities every Sunday focused on art, culture, sports, meditation, spirituality, and service to spread the message of de-addiction. Participants include lakhs of students from thousands of schools, colleges, and universities, along with volunteers from My Bharat and NSS youth.
The government reported intensified action against drug traffickers, with arrests having multiplied and drugs worth thousands of crores seized. PM Modi emphasized that enemies exploit drug addiction as part of terror designs, flooding drugs to earn money and destroy countries like India.
The campaign encourages open dialogue about addiction, early intervention through noticing signs like withdrawal, secrecy, late nights, and unusual demands for money, and seeking medical support and rehabilitation. PM Modi appealed to professors in colleges and universities to talk to students about drug dangers and start campus movements.