PM hails youth for making village tobacco-free

Mir Jafar, a youth from Anantnag who was praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Mann ki Baat address for helping make his village tobacco-free, said on Sunday that it was the duty of every citizen to contribute to the nation’s progress.

Speaking to reporters at his residence in Sheikhgund village, Jafar thanked the PM for acknowledging his work in the monthly radio programme.

“It is definitely a morale booster and will inspire us to do better things,” he said.

Jafar said he was prompted to act after witnessing young people falling prey to drug abuse, while many elders were suffering from cancer due to tobacco consumption.

“So, I decided to speak to the youth to wean them away from drug abuse. We also counselled elders on the ill effects of tobacco consumption,” he said.

During his Mann ki Baat address, Prime Minister Modi said, “I have learnt about Sheikhgund village in Anantnag. Challenges related to drugs, tobacco, cigarettes and alcohol had increased significantly there.

“Seeing all this, Mir Jafar ji became so distressed that he resolved to address the problem. He united everyone in the village, from the youth to the elders. The impact was such that the shops there stopped selling tobacco products. This effort also increased public awareness about the dangers of drugs,” the PM said.