Educate Masses to Curb the Menace of
Drugs, Prostitution, Foeticide and AIDS - Dr Bains

Chandigarh, Jan 12, 2009
Gurmeet Singh

There is an alarming rise in the menace of drugs, foeticide, prostitution and HIV-AIDS world over. India is right on the pointed target of the cancerous diseases. It seems as if most people are just burying their heads in sand and have long been silent about the social evils. Such silence and complacency is dangerous since the evils do not respect any religion, cast, colour, creed, culture or country. Taking all these aspects into consideration and as a step ahead, an awareness seminar was organized by ‘Helping Hands Charitable Trust Punjab’ to provide first hand information to the public especially the youth about the evils that have engulfed the globe. Deputy Commissioner Mr Nilkanth Avhad IAS was the chief guest and Madam Shashi Prabha Dwivedi IPS Senior Superintendent Police Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar presided over the function.

Dr. Raghbir Singh Bains a social activist from Canada and a trained counselor of drug addiction from North America and an expert researcher on HIV-AIDS was the key note speaker at the seminar held by ‘Helping Hands Charitable Trust Punjab’. While speaking at the seminar, Dr Bains said, “Abusive drugs are worst enemy of the society. Licit and illicit drugs are killing people all over the globe. Countless drug addicts suffer from physical, mental, economic and social problems. Drugs enhance the number of deaths, murders, suicides, rapes and prostitution. Female killing of fetus is an evil crime that should be stopped ad plugged.
Dr Bains added that AIDS is a fatal disease and its bomb is ticking over the head of Asian and African countries. Around 45 million patients are suffering from the deadly disease of HIV-AIDS in the world. More than 15,000 patients of AIDS are dying every day and thousands are born every day with the ray of the next morning Sun. Unfortunately, the AIDS widows and children of the dead do not get social acceptance in the society anywhere in the world. Their health is not considered important because of the paucity of funds and proper commitment of government agencies towards prevention. Neglected they die in their homes untreated. Because this disease is not curable so far in the world hence abstention and prevention are the only solutions”.

Dr Bains further said that drugs and AIDS have killed hundreds and thousands of lives in India, Africa and other countries of the world. AIDS was first detected in India from Chennai in 1986. According to official figures, India is now home to more than 3 million people suffering from this disease. Punjab, a prosperous province reels under the pressure of 60-70,000 patients in this respect. The disease kills indiscriminately. It is an evil-omened experiment of illicit sexing and contaminated drugging which carries death sentence. Young boys and girls between the ages of 15-24 years are more vulnerable to this killer disease. Especially the youth commit evils under sway of emotions by using drug syringes. The epidemic is invisible to them. While developing sexual contacts before marital and extramarital relationship, they are not able to comprehend fully the extent of their exposure to the deadly risk. Unfortunately, the youth are becoming easy prey to the disease which is not curable in the world so far. He motivated the organizers to continue holding seminars, workshops and awareness gatherings to treat the sick minds.

Dr Bains urged upon the public, especially the youth to ‘say no’ to the peer pressure and to stay away from glamour of drugs, contaminated syringes and illicit sexing that result in deadly diseases. He cautioned that drug abuse or premature or promiscuous sexual activity or prostitution was serious risk behaviour. He asked the youth to mend high risk behaviour. Dr Bains further urged upon the government, socio-religious bodies, teachers, preachers and parents to take immediate steps to raise awareness and educate masses about the deadly evils before anything serious happens. Answers to the frequently asked questions and myths on drugs, rapes, prostitution, foeticide and AIDS were also given.

The initiative by the young trustees of the ‘Helping Hands Charitable Trust Punjab’ was aimed at spreading awareness on the ongoing prevention of drugs, prostitution, evils of feticide and reducing barriers to early diagnosis of HIV / AIDS infection and increasing access to quality medical service amongst youth and general public. Deputy Commissioner Mr Nilkanth Avhad IAS and Madam Shashi Prabha Dwivedi IPS Senior Superintendent Punjab Police Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar admired the efforts of the trustees for creating awareness on social evils.
Dr. Raghbir Singh Bains winner of dozens of national and international awards was honoured with ‘Community Service Award-2009’ for doing selfless service to the global people.