Kerala unites against drugs, CM Pinarayi Vijayan says fight will continue

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the state would continue its fight against drugs. The chief minister said on Tuesday that the next phase of the “No to Drugs” campaign would commence from November 14 and will continue till January 26 next year.
Inaugurating the human chain against the drugs in the capital, the chief minister said that the details of the next phase of the campaign will be announced after further deliberations. He said that with the anti-drug chain that has been formed on the State Formation Day, the fight against drugs is entering into the next phase. He said that each citizen of the state has become part of the “No to Drugs” campaign in one way or the other. The role of students was significant in the campaign, he said.

The students stood in front of the campaign with the determination that they would not fall prey to drugs. The message that the students have given to the society would strengthen the fight against the drugs, Vijayan said. The chief minister added that the drug mafia is targeting small children and students. The CM said that all legal steps, including preventive detention, ensuring charges that will give strong penalties to those who are selling or using drugs, are being initiated against the drug mafia.
General education minister V Sivankutty said that the support for the first phase of the campaign against drugs should be extended to the second phase too.
In Ernakulam, almost all schools have taken part in the formation of human chain against drugs. Human chains and other programmes were held in all constituencies and civic bodies under the leadership of elected representatives. Ernakulam excise division too organized several programmes in the district. A friendly-football match involving teams of excise officers, elected representatives and actors were held at Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Kadavanthra. .
In Malabar, thousands of people, including students, lined up to form human chain as part of the campaign. In Malappuram, an 83-km long human chain extending from Ponnani to Vazhikkadavu was formed, highlighting the message. Fisheries and sports minister V Abdurahiman became a part of the chain at Tirur. In Kozhikode, local body institutions organized elaborate programmes, including rallies. A ‘night walk’ was held in Perambra and a mega rally was organized in Vadakara.