Speakers at a meet organised in Vijayawada on Sunday to mark Shaheed Diwas (Martyrs’ Day), observed every year on March 23, raised concerns over the increasing use of drugs and the rise of the ganja mafia in the State. They called for immediate measures to bring the culprits to book and eradicate the menace from society.Tributes were paid to freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru, who were executed by the British authorities on March 23, 1931 in Lahore jail. Speakers urged the youth to draw inspiration from the lives of the three martyrs.Participants took a pledge to eradicate the social evil and called upon various sections of society to help create a healthy society. The meeting was presided over by the State secretary of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) G. Ramanna and was attended by former Indian Medical Association president G. Samaram, A.P. Bar Association Council member S. Rajendra Prasad, paediatrician Sai Prasad and representatives of various other organisations.They said it was a matter of grave concern that ganja and other drugs were within easy reach of the youth and called for effective measures to check their sale. They said that political will was the key to preventing such social evils, and that all political parties should expel individuals involved in drugs and ganja-related casesThey also demanded that the government support the families of youth leader Penchalayya from Nellore district, who lost his life while fighting against drugs and ganja mafia.Published - March 22, 2026 08:13 pm IST