“To fight a war against drugs menace which is not confined to boundary of one state, it requires a decisive approach and collaborative movement to curb this problem which has engulfed our youth” said Jai Ram Thakur, Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh. He was speaking during the Annual Convocation ceremony of Chandigarh University, Gharuan. More than 1076 students of Hotel Management, Commerce, Business Management, Airlines Tourism streams of 2019 passed-out batch were awarded degrees during the convocation ceremony. 7 University toppers of various streams were honored with gold medals and 4 Ph.D. degrees were also awarded by the Chief Minister during the ceremony. Group Head HR of Samvardhana Motherson Group, Paras Kaushik along with University Chancellor, Satnam Singh Sandhu, Vice-Chancellor Dr. R.S.Bawa and Registrar, Dr. Satbir Singh Sehgal were also present during the occasion. While interacting with the media-persons, Chief Minister, Jai Ram Thakur said, “Himachal Pradesh Government has made stringent laws to deal with drugs issue in the state and we have ordered strict action such as denial of bail to the person who is arrested with any quantity of narcotic drugs during checking”.
The Chief Minister advocated for joint efforts by the neighboring states to curb the cross-border transportation of narcotic drugs. “A joint meeting of Chief Ministers of five states, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Rajasthan and Chandigarh (UT) in this regard was held recently in which a joint action plan was formulated which includes sharing of vital information about drug peddlers amongst states was also made part of the joint exercise”. Chief Minister, Jai Ram Thakur termed the opposition outcry against Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) is just a political gimmick due to Delhi Assembly Elections whereas the CAA Act is an attempt to provide relief to the minorities who have been subjected to harassment in neighboring countries after partition. “No Indian Citizen should fear of losing his or her citizenship due to CAA as it is an act of giving citizenship and not taking it away from anyone” added Jai Ram Thakur. While delivering his convocation address to the students, Himachal Pradesh CM said, “Today is a precious and unforgettable moment of your life as you will enter a new phase of life today where you will have to create your own identity in the world”. Learning of new technology is important but maintaining connection with one’s roots, traditions and culture is equally important for the youth so that our rich legacy and heritage can be safely transferred to younger generations, he added. Cultural procession in which traditional folk dances of Indian States and different countries were also presented by the students of the Chandigarh University.