Four More Spiritual Organisations Adhyatm Vigyan Satsang Kendra, Chinmaya Mission, Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan and Hare Krishna Movement Join Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan; Sign MoUs with Ministry of Social Justice And Empowerment in Presence of Secretary Sudhansh Pant
Partnerships to Strengthen Grassroots Awareness, Prevention, Recovery and Social Mobilization against Substance Abuse
As part of strengthening its efforts towards building a Nasha Mukt Bharat, the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment (DoSJE) under Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with four prominent spiritual organizations namely Adhyatm Vigyan Satsang Kendra, Chinmaya Mission, Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan and Hare Krishna Movement, at the Ministry’s Chintan Conference Hall in the National Capital here today.
The MoUs were signed in presence of Shri Sudhansh Pant, Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment; Dr. Sandeep R. Rathod, Joint Secretary (Drug Prevention); senior officials of the Department; and representatives of the participating spiritual organizations.
Shri Astik Kumar Pandey, Director (Drug Prevention), signed the MoUs on behalf of the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment. The MoUs were exchanged amid applause from the participants.
The respective organisations were represented by Shri Chandra Singh,Adhyatm Vigyan Satsang Kendra;Smt. Prema Vishwanath,Chinmaya Mission;Sadhvi Shitabha Bharti,Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan;and Shri Fateh Chand Sharma,Hare Krishna Movement, who signed the MoUs on behalf of their organisations.
The partnerships form part of the Department's continuing efforts under theNasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA)to leverage the extensive reach, influence and community networks of spiritual and value-based organisations for strengthening awareness, prevention and social mobilization against substance abuse.
Addressing the gathering,Shri Sudhansh Pant, Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment,reiterated the importance of spiritual organizations in advancing the vision of a Nasha Mukt Bharat. He appreciated the efforts of the organizations already associated with the Ministry and noted that their collective initiatives under NMBA have helped the Department reach more than 34.42 crore citizens.
The Secretary called upon the newly partnered organizations to maximize their outreach and utilize their extensive networks to spread the message of prevention, awareness and recovery from substance abuse, particularly at the grassroots level. He emphasized that the collective strength of the Government, civil society and spiritual organizations could help create a sustained social movement against drug abuse.
Shri Pant said that theparticipation of spiritual organisations under NMBA seeks to bring together spiritual strength, social responsibility and community mobilization. He said their extensive grassroots presence can play a significant role in fostering resilience among individuals and families, reducing the stigma associated with substance use disorders, and encouraging affected persons to seek timely help, treatment and rehabilitation.
The Secretary further said that through these partnerships, the Ministry aims to ensure that the message of prevention, recovery, compassion and social responsibility reaches diverse sections of society and develops into a sustained people's movement.
Shri Pant added that the expanding network of spiritual and social organizations will further reinforce the collective resolve to realize the vision of a Nasha Mukt Bharat and contribute towards building a Viksit Bharat.
The Secretary noted that these partnerships have contributed significantly to mass awareness, volunteer mobilization and the integration of yoga, meditation, spiritual counselling and value-based approaches into initiatives aimed at preventing substance abuse and supporting recovery.
Pertinently, the Ministry has previously entered into MoUs with The Art of Living, Brahma Kumaris, Sant Nirankari Mission, ISKCON, Shri Ram Chandra Mission, All World Gayatri Pariwar, Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram and the University of Patanjali, as part of recognizing the important role played by spiritual organizations in guiding communities, instilling discipline, promoting value-based living and strengthening individual and family resilience.
As part of the programme,an Anti-Drug Pledgewas administered by the Secretary to the representatives of the participating organizations. The organisations were also urged to administer the pledge during their major programmes, events and public gatherings to reinforce the collective commitment towards building a drug-free society.
The three short films produced by the Ministry highlighting the importance of awareness about ill effects of substance abuse besides rehabilitation of the victims of drug abuse, were screened on the occasion. In addition, the participants were informed about the initiatives like registration as Nasha Mukti Mitra and taking E-Pledge, on the NMBA portal.
