Itanagar: While the country prepares to celebrate the lovely festival of Rakshabandhan, in a unique initiative, the spouses of troops of Khonsa Battalion of Assam Rifles celebrated Rakshabandhan with inpatients of the Drugs Rehabilitation Centre at Charju run by Care Me Home, a Non Governmental Organisation dedicated to treatment of drug abusers. The wives of the soldiers of the Battalion tied Rakhi to 28 inpatients on the occasion. Twenty staff members of the Rehabilitation Centre also actively participated in the event.
The inpatients of the facility are undergoing a rigorous transformation process to free themselves from drug addiction. The initiative by the ladies of the Assam Rifles Battalion aimed to motivate the inmates to continue working towards a drug free life, while making them feel inclusive. The festival of Rakshabandhan, which celebrates the cherished bond between a brother and sister, was chosen as the best occasion to spread affection towards the inpatients, many of whom are abandoned by the society.
Isha Ahluwalia, Coordinator, Family Welfare Organisation of Khonsa Assam Rifles, was present for the event, alongwith Mrs Sontung Bangsia, the Chairperson of Care Me Home Foundation. The initiative effectively engaged the young inpatients by infusing a sense of belonging. Mrs Isha Ahluwalia, while addressing the gathering, praised the work being done by Care Me Home Foundation. She also motivated the inpatients to keep working hard towards a drug free life. She said that the families of the soldiers stand by them in this fight against drugs as their sisters, and want to make them feel loved. The inpatients expressed that they felt a sense of purpose after the event and were inspired to free themselves from the clutches of drugs.
Tirap is one of the districts that is most affected in the country for drug abuse. A number of government initiatives lately have been aimed at this menace. While the security forces try and stop the supply chain, the government agencies in general and Assam Rifles in particular, have conducted a number of programmes in the area to educate youth to wean them away from drugs and drug abuse.