On the occasion of 75th anniversary of Quit India Movement, Member of Parliament Hamirpur Anurag Thakur announced the launch of ‘Haarega Nasha, Jeetega Himachal’, a movement for creating Drugs Free Himachal.
Elaborating the initiative, Anurag Thakur said, “On 9 August 1942, the Quit India Movement began for a Free India and today on 9 August 2017, the beginning of ‘Haarega Nasha, Jeetega Himachal’, a Quit Drugs movement for the commencement of a Drug Free Himachal, is being marked.”
Emphasizing the need of curbing the drug menace, Thakur said that it’s engulfing the State of Himachal Pradesh at a fast pace. He said
“The need to curb this menace is the biggest need of the hour since the addiction is penetrating severely amongst the youth.”
Thakur elaborated that Haarega Nasha, Jeetega Himachal aims at engaging the youth in order to address this serious concern and create widespread awareness about the ill-effects of drugs. The campaign would educate and encourage youth about why they must prevent use of drugs and discourage people around them too, while encourage occasional users to discontinue the use, he further added.
The initiative would also empower the youth by entrusting them with the task of building a New Himachal, where drug consumption would be least.
As part of the campaign youth would be appointed as the champions of Haarega Nasha, Jeetega Himachal campaign and they would also have to enroll more number of people to pledge to be a part of movement against drugs and put a complete end to its consumption in the State.
“I am certain that today’s youth has the power to make a great impact. My message to the youth on this day would be that good leaders solve the problems of today, while great leaders solve the problem for generations”
The hill state of Himachal Pradesh has witnessed steep rise in the drug menace cases and the state government claimed of taking preventive measures to tackle the problem. The state government has constituted a ‘Narcotics cell’ in the Intelligence wing under the control of an officer of SP rank to check cultivation, smuggling and use of narcotic drugs and further started campaigns by involving voluntary organisations, school and college students for creating awareness about adverse effects of drug abuse. Despite tall claims, government initiatives have failed to give positive results and despite improved vigilance and awareness campaign, cases of smuggling of drugs were being reported regularly.
