Dear Friends,
On Teacher’s Day, I was interacting with over 1.5 crore students and teachers of Gujarat. During this wonderful interaction, a young girl from Ahmedabad asked me what steps she should take to enable someone in her family leave the habit of cigarette smoking.
This question brought out the concerns of any daughter and came straight from the heart! From a tender age, a daughter always sees what is good for the family. But, she is not the only one asking this question. There are lakhs of others, especially our Mothers and Daughters who are looking for ways to end the menace of gutka and cigarettes that have wrecked their households.
I am glad to share that the Gujarat Government has taken a strong step in this regard. As you would be aware, come 11th September 2012, there will be a comprehensive ban on gutka consumption across the state. It is our determination to create a society where no woman is widowed due to hazards of gutka eating in the family. We want to see a day when no child loses a parent or no mother prematurely loses a son due gutka consumption.
11th September is the day when Swami Vivekananda gave a soul stirring speech at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago back in 1893. Just like Swami Vivekananda conquered the world with the might of India’s glorious culture 119 years ago, we wish to begin the movement towards vanquishing the evil of gutka consumption on this special day.
The menace of gutka is much more serious than what you would like to believe it would be. You will be shocked to know that gutka is even more expensive than almonds. But, those who consume it never realize this and move towards a path of self-destruction from which there is no return. We should ask ourselves if the money being wasted on gutka actually worth it considering the risk it poses to human life? Not only human beings, but also cows are victims of this. It often happens that cows also consume gutka packets, which is extremely adverse to their health. Thus, by saying no to gutka you are saving both human life as well as protecting ‘Gau Mata.’
Friends, to rid Gujarat from the evils of Gutka, your support matters even more than the efforts of the Government! This is the time to rise to the occasion together and create a mass movement to remove gutka from our lives and save our youth from the menace of cancer and with the right help and guidance, I am sure this is possible. But, if you think public admonishing can do it, you are totally mistaken. We should instead try other innovative ways to do so- for instance, if a family member is craving to consume gutka, you can draw his attention away from it by either asking him to come for a walk, hearing some nice music or even having a cup of tea together. Slowly, you will notice that his consumption of gutka will reduce. Show them photographs of patients who fell prey to cancer by consuming gutka and I am sure once they look at the disturbing images, they will rethink their actions! Your love, affection and care can go a long way.
This is why I invite you to be a part of this movement! I urge you to pick up your phones and give a missed call on 8000980009. In addition, if you have photographs or movies on the evils of gutka, please come up and share it with the world. You may also like to write an essay or make your own short film, posters on the subject and share it on the website so that everyone can see it. Social media users may like to take up the cause on that platform by posting & spreading messages containing hashtag #NoToGutka. This is how together we can take small steps that will make a big difference.
When I made the declaration of the gutka ban at the state-level Independence Day celebrations in Junagadh, I never imagined the wave of support that would come. Infact, just after making the announcement in Junagadh, a freedom fighter who was present there handed over a gutka packet and said, “aaj thi gutko bandh” (from today no more gutka). Many of our sisters have written to me extending their support. These experiences have really touched me.
I am sure together, we can create a healthier Gujarat where things like gutka cease to exist in the dictionaries of our youngsters!
Yours,
Narendra Modi
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