Students participate in an awareness rally against drugs and human trafficking organised by St. Joseph’s Institution on Museum Road in Bengaluru on Tuesday |Pandarinath B
BENGALURU: About 400 students from various PU colleges took part in an awareness rally against drugs and human trafficking organised by St Joseph's Institution on Museum Road on Tuesday. The theme for this year's awareness rally was "Listen First". And the message they tried to put across through the theme was that listening to children and youth is the first step to helping them grow healthy.
Anu S from St Joseph's Indian Composite College said, "This campaign has started at the school level so that it has a greater impact on people. All of us will walk together till Brigade Road and a street play and a mime will be performed."
Soumya S, a lecturer from St Joseph's Boys High School said, "This year, we wanted to create awareness on drug addiction on a bigger platform."
Latha Ranji, a lecturer from St. Joseph's College, said, "We hope to instill a sense of respect for women by conducting how Human Resource Development sessions where we teach students not only to respect women but the human race on the whole."
Lack of awareness, peer pressure, family issues and academic stress were the main reasons for teenagers using drugs and alcohol as identified by teachers and students. The role of parents in the usage of drugs by children was well explained by Wahida A, a professor from St. Joseph's.
A total of 12 PU colleges were invited to take part in the rally which started from St Joseph's Boys High School and ended at War Memorial, Brigade Road.
Police holds workshop
The Karnataka state police held a workshop on awareness, capacity building and training of officers on drug laws enforcement on Tuesday. The workshop was inaugurated by Ajai Kumar Singh, Former DG & IGP and Neelamani N Raju, the current DG & IGP.
Singh said, "Not only individuals, societies and nations are being destroyed by this problem. The progress of the nation has been halted since centuries and the best example is China where people were made to get addicted by westerners and they suffered a lot."
"Drug addicts are among us itself, but mainly we have to look for the suppliers of drugs and only then we can head towards success” said Neelamani.
