It is an absolute truth that the drug menace is raising its head across the country, darkening the promising future of Sri Lankan children and oppressing the lives of the people.

The citizens across the country took the Bakmaha Divuruma national pledge to eradicate the drug menace yesterday to confirm their total commitment to control and eliminate the illegal drugs from the country.

The inaugural event of this program was held under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena at the Independence Square in Colombo, with the participation of the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, ministers and members of Parliament. 

Governors, Chief Ministers as well as the Secretary to the President Udaya R. Senevirathne, and secretaries to ministers, and other senior government officials, Heads of Tri Forces, Inspector General of Police, and the chiefs of security forces were gathered at the event. The public attended the ceremony in large numbers.

The gathering made a pledge to commit themselves to make the country free of illicit drugs for the sake of the future generation, to successfully conduct and to accomplish the drug prevention program and to take steps to shun drugs as an individual, and to dedicate with a utmost contribution for the great collective efforts to free the Sri Lankan public from drug menace. This event was live-streamed through electronic media, and it was simultaneously telecast to institutions, public offices, schools and the general public. The President believes that the national task of building a prosperous Sri Lanka by freeing the country from drug trafficking, and the task should be continued with a community attitude change and with active participation of the family unit and the society.

The new program of the Bakmaha Divuruma, national pledge against drugs, was organised by President Sirisena for a new approach to create a drug-free country. His intention is to obtain the cooperation of all sections for the success of the program.

President takes backdoor to Parliament