Raj Sadosh/Abohar.

The Yuva Chetna Yatra, organised for the third consecutive year by a group of youths, was flagged off by Senior Superintendent of Police Gurmeet Singh at Gumjal village bordering Rajasthan. The initiative aims to spread the message of a drug-free society.

Prof Ajay Khosla said that people on way to Abohar were motivated to stay alert about their wards and keep them away from drug addiction. “During the 155km journey from Gumjal to Hussainiwala near Ferozepur, we will try to inspire people to follow the nation-building ideology of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev and cooperate with the administration in controlling the drug menace and anti-national activities, he added. The Yatra will reach Hussainiwala on March 23 to pay tributes at the Shaheed Smarak.

Mayor Vimal Thatai welcomed the Yatra as the participants reached at Bhagat Singh Chowk in Abohar and paid floral tributes at the life-size statue of the revolutionary martyr. Praveen Chawla, convener of the Joint Forum of NGOs, Raju Charaya president of Nar Sewa Narayan Sewa Samiti and others were present to felicitate the young participants with a memento. Thatai said that youths need to be taught positivity and unending love for India that got freedom in 1947 with supreme sacrifices of hundreds of freedom fighters.