AMRITSAR: Thousands of youth gathered at the Golden Temple in Amritsar with a common goal to eradicate the drug menace in Punjab on Wednesday.Donning yellow turbans, patkas and dupattas, these youths, joined by chief minister Bhagwant Mann, collectively prayed to the almighty seeking strength to fulfill this sacred mission, aimed at eliminating the curse of drugs from the state.Read AlsoDrug menace not confined to Punjab alone but spreading fast in other states too, says governorPunjab governor Banwari Lal Purohit addressed border area residents during his visit to Fazilka on Wednesday, urging them to report any drug-related activities to the police.The ardas were offered by granthi Baljit Singh.Although prayers and pledges may not have a direct impact on curbing the drug menace and are primarily symbolic gestures, the event provided a valuable platform for extensive discussions on the issue across the state to facilitate raising awareness about the drug problem among people of all ages.The Hope Initiative, conceived by Amritsar Police commissioner Naunihal Singh, encompasses the elements of Pray, Pledge, and Play. This initiative commenced with prayers and pledges on Wednesday and is now transitioning into The Hope Cup, a sports competition involving multiple teams.The program was also politically influenced, as Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) backed Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami opted to abstain from the grand event organized by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.Speaking on the occasion, Mann said that this was the first of its kind mass movement against drugs which would break the backbone of this menace adding that under this Hope Initiative the mission anti-drug had been embarked with a threefold strategy of Pray, Pledge, Play. He said that as a part of the first campaign thousands of youth had joined the ardas to pray for drug free Punjab adding that thousands of other people have also joined this campaign through online ardas. Mann further said that "with the blessing of waheguru the campaign had been launched to ensure that Punjab was made a completely drug-free state", adding that "for the first time, the campaign against drugs had been started from the grassroots level". After ardas, Mann inaugurated the cricket matches at the Gandhi Grounds.Watch Drug-free Punjab is Bhagwant Mann govts priority… Punjab Health Minister on Sukhpal Singh Khairas Arrest

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