Chandigarh, August 30: Punjab should take the lead in turning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for a “drug-free youth, drug-free India” into a mass movement, Rajya Sabha member Satnam Singh Sandhu said on Saturday, stressing that the state’s battle must address both drug addiction and the narco-terror network operating through cross-border smuggling.
Sandhu was speaking after listening to the 137th episode of Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ with youth and members of various sections of society at Dhanas village.
He said Punjab faced a particularly serious challenge because drug trafficking was not merely a public health concern but was also connected with threats to peace and security.
“Punjab’s role can be the most important in realizing the concept of a drug-free India. It is not just about saving Punjab from the scourge of drugs, but also uprooting the entire system of drug trafficking and narco-terror,” Sandhu said.
He alleged that ransom threats, extortion, targeted killings and other forms of organised crime were linked to the network of drug smuggling and narco-terror.
Referring to the Prime Minister’s appeal for greater public participation in the anti-drug campaign, Sandhu urged different sections of society to contribute creatively. He said young people could develop slogans, musicians could compose songs promoting a drug-free lifestyle, while students and theatre groups could stage short plays highlighting the consequences of drug abuse.
Content creators, he added, could produce awareness material in different languages to take the message to a wider audience.
Sandhu said the campaign should extend beyond government action and reach villages, educational institutions, playgrounds and youth groups across Punjab.
“The real power of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ lies in converting good thinking into people’s participation and people’s participation into people’s movement,” he said.
He also stressed the need to provide young people with alternatives and opportunities so that their energy could be channelled towards the state’s development.
Education, skill development, sports, research, employment and entrepreneurship, he said, would have to form the foundation of a new environment for Punjab’s youth.
“The youth of Punjab will not be considered a problem, but the biggest force for the reconstruction of Punjab,” Sandhu said.
He said the BJP was committed to tackling narco-terror in Punjab with the same political resolve and determination that had been used to combat Naxalism.
“Drug-free youth, narco-terror-free Punjab and a future full of opportunities for the youth—the Prime Minister’s resolution today will have to be translated into this strong people’s wave in Punjab,” he said.
