World No Tobacco Day 2024 took us to the gates of Bhattadev University in Pathsala. On World No Tobacco Day, 31 May 2024, Jan Briddhi Foundation staged a street play in front of Bhattadev University, Pathsala, to raise awareness about tobacco, drugs and mental health among young people.
A play with a clear message
The play showed how tobacco, alcohol and drugs can slowly push a happy family towards ruin, and why de-addiction and mental health support matter. It was organised with the support of the Bajali district administration, the Bajali education block and the Bajali district journalists’ association.
The cast included Champak Kakati, Barna Pratim Medhi, Krishanu Baruah, Bikash Talukdar, Abinash Medhi, Ushmita Das, Pritam Das, Lijashree Talukdar and Nayanmoni Sharma.
“Awareness has to become a movement”
At a short programme after the performance, retired Professor Sarat Talukdar of Bhattadev University’s Geography department said that unless awareness against addictive substances becomes a strong public movement, observing No Tobacco Day for three decades will have little meaning.
In the news
The play was covered by Niyomiya Barta. Read the report in Niyomiya Barta (in Assamese) or watch the video.
আজি বিশ্ব ধঁপাতবিৰোধী দিৱস উপলক্ষে ধঁপাতৰ অপকাৰিতাৰ বিষয়ে সজাগতা সৃষ্টি কৰিবলৈ পাঠশালাৰ ভট্টদেৱ বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ৰ সন্মুখত প্ৰদৰ্শন কৰা হয় এখন বাটৰ নাট৷
Niyomiya Barta
Why a street play for World No Tobacco Day
A street play reaches people who would never attend a seminar. Ours told a story many families recognise: a household slowly harmed by tobacco, alcohol and drugs, and the help that de-addiction and mental health support can bring.
World No Tobacco Day is marked every year on 31 May by the World Health Organization.
Our wider community work
Alongside our four programmes, volunteers run awareness drives on health and the environment in Bajali, such as World Environment Day 2024. Our health work today continues through NearBlood.
Frequently asked questions
Who supported the street play?
The Bajali district administration, the Bajali education block and the Bajali district journalists’ association.
Can my school or college host one?
Write to contact@janbriddhi.org.in and we will plan it with you.
How you can help
- Donate to NearBlood: any amount, with an 80G receipt if you add your PAN.
- Volunteer with us in Bajali and Barpeta.
- Companies can fund NearBlood through CSR.
About Jan Briddhi Foundation
Jan Briddhi Foundation is a registered Section 8 not-for-profit company in Bajali, Assam, working since 2022 where help is hardest to reach: brick-kiln camps, flood-hit villages and rural schools. It runs four programmes: the Green Plate Initiative, Puhor, Disaster Relief and NearBlood. It holds 12AB and 80G registrations, so donations are tax-deductible for donors who add their PAN, and is CSR-1 registered. Read our impact reports.
