Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Sunday said Goa stands for preservation, heritage and pride in its identity.
At the conclusion ceremony of the 30-day special awareness campaign, ‘Drugs: A Menace to Society’, in Goa, the CJI said, “When I entered this venue, crossing the beautiful lanes of Goa, which hosts thousands of tourists and families everyday… that was sufficient for me to see the spirit of Goa embedded in each… of not only the buildings and the street corners, but every citizen and resident of Goa, all of them seem to carry the DNA of Goa’s antiquity, resilience and beauty. And I thought to myself, this is what Goa stands for… preservation, heritage and pride in our identity.”
The CJI said the awareness campaign is designed around that very symbol of resistance and persistence. “…One that strengthens the citizens by making them aware, informed and capable of confronting a silent nemesis that has gradually crept in our lives. Drug abuse does not arrive with noise or warning; it seeps quietly into homes, classrooms and communities. It seeps quietly into homes, classrooms and communities, eroding potential and distorting futures,” he said.
Justice Surya Kant said the initiative stands “not merely as an awareness drive, but as an assertion of our collective resolve”.
“For me, the measure of a campaign lies not in its ambition, but in its execution. And what we have witnessed over the past month is nothing short of inspiration-worthy. In its short span, this campaign has reached every corner of Goa, from cities to remote tribal villages, from student hostels to panchayat halls, from coaching institutions to fishing communities,” he said.
“In the last four decades, I have watched the evolution of our justice delivery system. I have seen it recognise that law without compassion becomes tyranny and compassion without law becomes chaos. This campaign has steered this middle path with remarkable consistency. It has spoken to students without speaking down to them. It has engaged families with respect for their struggles. It has sensitised people without instilling fear in their minds. It has given a voice to those whom society had written off because their testimony is more powerful than any pamphlet at this stage,” the CJI said.
