TISSA, Apr 24: Three hundred youths from 51 villages in Longding district participated in a rally at De Paul School here from 20-23 April to discourage opium addiction prevalent in the district.
The rally was conducted as part of a three-day convention of the Longding District Catholic Youth Association (LDCYA).
According to a recent survey by the Government of India, Arunachal Pradesh emerged as the largest opium producer in the country, with Anjaw, Lohit and Longding districts topping the list.
“Longding district ranks among the highest opium addicts in the state. It is our humble effort to create awareness among the youth to tackle this problem,” said LDCYA general secretary Honlem Khangham.
Bishop George, who organized the event, said such events not only bring youths from different villages together but also help them get organized, become aware of the existing problems and take appropriate steps to address them.
The three-day event included cultural events, sessions on ways to fight opium addiction, motivational talks, and literary competitions.
Many young men and women walked for hours to reach the venue because of absence of roads connecting the villages in the district.
Longding is the last district of Arunachal Pradesh, sharing international boundaries with Myanmar in the east and state boundaries with Nagaland and Assam in the south-west.
