Guwahati, Aug 30: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi renewed his call for a drug-free India in his monthly radio address Mann Ki Baat on Sunday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma highlighted the state’s sustained campaign against narcotics, revisiting its crackdown record since the launch of “Assam Against Drugs” in 2021. In a detailed social media post, Sarma said Assam’s fight against drugs had evolved into a sustained and institutionalised campaign involving Assam Police and allied agencies.

“Arrests have climbed steadily each year, from 4,175 in 2021 to 4,901 in 2025 — proving that this is not a one-time drive but a sustained, institutionalised war,” Sarma’s post read. Referring to the destruction of seized contrab and worth Rs 472 crore at Nalbari a few weeks ago, the Chief Minister said the move was intended to send a clear message that confiscated drugs would never find their way back into Assamese households.

Sarma said Assam Police had not worked in isolation but as part of a larger national resolve to eliminate the drug menace. “Kingpins often operate beyond our borders, which is precisely why this cannot be Assam's fight alone,” Sarma said.

He credited the Centre’s support and Prime Minister Modi’s leadership for strengthening coordination with Myanmar, surveillance along inter-state borders, intelligence sharing and the use of technology to intercept drug consignments. Sarma’s post came in the context of Modi’s renewed push for a “Nasha Mukt Bharat” and the “Nasha Mukt Yuva” movement, which the Prime Minister has linked to the vision of building a developed India.

“Every seizure means a family protected and a future secured,” the Chief Minister said. Meanwhile, in the 137th episode of his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat, Modi appealed to citizens to join hands in freeing India from the menace of drug abuse and securing a stronger future for the country’s youth.

“Its goal is crystal clear - drug-free youth, drug-free India. Let us come together to build a drug-free India and a stronger future for our youth,” Modi said.

The Centre’s flagship Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA), aimed at creating a drug-free India, was launched on August 15, 2020, under the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction.