Text of PM’s Media Statement during Joint Press Interaction with PM of Canada, Mr. Stephen Harper at Ottawa, Canada

Namaskar!

Today, all of us citizens of India have united for a great and important resolve. Saints from across the country, governors representing different states, chief ministers, other public representatives, and more than one crore young companions connected from over 28,000 locations are part of this program. On this auspicious occasion, I especially welcome and congratulate the millions of youth who have joined for this noble pledge. This campaign is for the individual, for the family, for society, and most importantly, for the nation.

Friends,

For the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan, the name Nasha Mukt Yuva itself makes the resolve clear. As India sets the goal of becoming a developed nation, it is essential that our youth remain healthy in body and mind, full of self-confidence, and always free from the deadly habit of drugs. This is the purpose of the campaign. We must all resolve that our youth understand the dangers of addiction, remain aware, and stay away from it. The National Nasha Mukt Yuva Abhiyan now plays a major role in this resolve.

Friends,

As the MP from Kashi, I am proud that this campaign began last year as a pilot project on its sacred soil. Along with scientific clarity, it carries spiritual energy, blessings of saints, and our great cultural heritage. It embodies the cultural dedication that has rejected intoxication for centuries. That is why more than 125 spiritual organizations have joined us for the welfare of millions. Social organizations and NGOs have also taken this pledge. Together, through the Kashi Declaration, a roadmap was prepared. Today, the idea that arose from Kashi has become a national project. From today, the Nasha Mukt Yuva campaign begins across the country.

Friends,

Some efforts, when done individually, can feel tiring or discouraging. But when they become collective movements, when millions walk shoulder to shoulder, even those who could not act alone gain new energy. Collective strength is powerful, and today this campaign will touch every young heart. Just a short while ago, millions of youth across the country took the pledge of freedom from addiction. You resolved to keep your lives free from drugs, and to spread the message of de-addiction in your schools, colleges, and communities.

Friends,

This pledge taken today will continue for 100 weeks. Every Sunday, activities related to art, culture, sports, meditation, spirituality, and service will be organized. The message of de-addiction will reach new people. These 100 Sundays will be 100 strong steps toward a drug-free India.

Friends,

Today, lakhs of students from thousands of schools, colleges, and universities are connected online with this program. Lakhs of volunteers from My Bharat are also participating. Our NSS youth are with us too. From different regions, institutions, and backgrounds, more than one crore youth are united today. You are the leaders of this great movement. You have strengthened my belief in how aware, intelligent, and responsible India’s youth are toward their duties. I extend my best wishes to all of you for this campaign.

My young friends,

You are the Amrit Peedhi of India. In the next 20–25 years, you will shape your own lives, and it is you who will carry the nation to its goal of becoming a developed India by 2047. You will be the ones sitting at the summit, enjoying the fruits of that achievement. The country needs your energy, imagination, and talent. That is why, for the sake of the nation and for your own lives, it is essential to remain free from addiction. Drugs distract focus and gradually pull youth away from their dreams. The short play performed just now beautifully conveyed the problem, the crises it creates, and the collective path to overcome it. Though brief, it was not just a play - it was a powerful message, awakening us and inspiring us to fight.

Friends,

Today we see our youth excelling in startups, leading in AI, raising the tricolor in sports, and setting new records from space to science. But when a young person falls into drug addiction, it is not just one youth who loses - a dream dies, a family breaks, society suffers. Addiction robs a mother’s smile, shatters a father’s hopes, weakens a sister’s bond, steals a younger brother’s role model, and leaves elders watching their child waste away before their eyes. When this happens in families and society, the nation’s strength also weakens. Enemies exploit this, conspiring to trap our youth in addiction as part of their terror designs, flooding drugs to earn money and destroy countries like ours. That is why we must protect every youth from falling into this trap.

Friends,

By staying free from addiction, you must protect your potential. Remember, drugs may give a temporary “high,” but they bring your career and family life “low.” We must never give addiction any acceptance.

Friends,

Our society has always seen addiction as evil. Saints and gurus have warned us against it. Even the Guru Granth Sahib says: “Jitu peetai mati doori hoi baralu pavai vichi ai. Aapna paraia na pachhanai khasmahu dhake khai.” - meaning, when a substance clouds wisdom and discernment, when one forgets the difference between self and others, such intoxication leads only to downfall.

Friends,

Our culture has always given warnings and shown ways to escape addiction. Social support, the strength of yoga and meditation, all empower our inner self against drugs. Today we also have rehabilitation centers. So if a youth falls into addiction, it does not mean all doors are closed. Families must not hide it out of social prestige. Seek help, talk openly, consult experts, and use medical support to free your child. Build a culture of open dialogue at home, so you can notice early signs - withdrawal, secrecy, late nights, unusual demands for money - and intervene before it is too late.

Friends,

I appeal to professors in colleges and universities: along with academics, talk to students about the dangers of drugs. Start a movement in your campuses. Your efforts can bring big results. And remember, those who fight and overcome addiction are not weak - they are true warriors. Society must respect them, embrace them, and give them a second chance. Their courage, not their past, defines them.

Friends,

The government stands firmly with the youth in this campaign. Strict action is being taken against drug traffickers. Arrests have multiplied, and drugs worth thousands of crores have been seized. This shows how tough our government is against drugs. I am confident that the central and state governments will continue this mission in full force. I believe our youth will remain free from addiction, preserve their energy, and advance the resolve of a developed India. Seeing so many revered saints before me today, I bow to them with respect. Spiritual and social organizations across the country, with their devotees and youth, can take this campaign forward. In the coming 100 weeks, if each organization takes responsibility for one week, leads activities nationwide, and organizes major events every Sunday, imagine the scale of the movement we can build. I thank the saints, acharyas, and leaders of organizations for blessing this noble cause. I especially congratulate the more than one crore youth who have joined today. I commend the volunteers of My Bharat - whatever they resolve, they achieve. Recently, I met some of them who spent a week in India’s border villages, once called the “last villages,” now proudly called the “first villages.” Their experiences were inspiring. Today, they have organized this massive program, a symbol of their awareness and dedication to the nation. I congratulate and salute them. I am confident that through your collective efforts, this movement will reach every home, every young heart, and become a great deterrent to drug traffickers. Let us all move forward together. My best wishes to you all!

Thank you very much!