ayushadmin | Nov 10, 2020 | 493
An exclusive Interview of Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Shri Veerendra Heggade by AYUSH TV. programming head Nagesh Desai
QUIT DRUGS; SAVE LIVES -ಮಾದಕ ತ್ಯಜಿಸಿ ಜೀವ ಉಳಿಸಿ
Nagesh Desai: Guruji- do you think the role of family members especially parents and relatives will play a major role in influencing drug addiction – positively or negatively?
Dr.D.Veerendra Heggade-ji: We always need to take the positive traits from our parents and shed the negative traits. Picking up a negative trait such as my father was an alcoholic, so i will be one is negative thinking which will eventually lead to failure in life and societal disregard.
At the same time, picking up positive traits from your parents that include the hard work of your father; devotion of your mother, creativity of your sister will make you successful in life. The society will also recognize you as a successful and hardworking personality.
In the earlier generations when joint families were in existence, the elders of the family had control over children. They were also guided by the elders in all their activities. There was not much of interest or enchantment in the earlier generations. There was no attraction in the form of Malls, Theatres etc. The children grew up to become good, honest citizens. Now with nuclear families, Parents hardly have the time to spend time with their children; let alone counsel them and make them understand about good and bad things.
The children are under constant pressure to study all the time through which they are under severe stress, pressure and to keep up the competition with their peers. To overcome such stiff competition, children are forced to take up the habit of drinks, cigarettes and go to the next level of taking drugs.
To quote an example, few North Indian students came to our DM De-addiction and Research Centre in Ujire for de-addiction. After coming here, they were asking if there were any pubs, clubs and bars here for their past time. I am making this reference because the children are now completely misled on the direction of their life and do not understand which is right and which is wrong.
Modern media also show ‘sensationalize’ and telecast drinking, smoking and taking drugs in the form of cinemas, serials etc, which motivate the children/youth to take up such habits. The statutory warnings in the form of ‘Cigarette Smoking is Injurious to health’ are just a farce.
Nagesh Desai; June 26th is celebrated as ‘International Day against Drug Abuse’ every year. Such days are against Drug Abuse are celebrated only when things go out of hand the society’s, government’s inability to control Deaddiction of drugs. To curtail such drug abuse what is the role of institutions such as SDM De-addiction and Research Centre in Ujire and other institutions?
Dr.D.Veerendra Heggade: Any habit or vice detrimental to the person and society going beyond the limit will be dreadful the person and society. Nowadays, the relationship between Father-son is at the lowest. The addicts are ‘self centred’ and do not care about their family including their wife and children. Individual satisfaction through such addiction is their sole motive of their life. Incidents of husband suspecting the wife because she is employed and needs to mingle and talk to people also resulted in broken relationships. Taking all this issues in perspective, i feel that we have a great responsibility on our shoulders on 26th June which is celebrated as International Day against Drug Abuse. We should strive for a good relationship with our Parents, Friends, relatives and the society. The idea of shedding bad practices and vices should start from within the individual. The individual should focus on inter personal relationship, emotional relationship, love, care, passion, giving respect to each other if he has to overcome addiction and become a successful person in life.
Nagesh Desai: The accessibility/availability of Liquor has been simplified by the Government nowadays. As we buy groceries, vegetables etc. Liquor is now made available at many outlets easily accessible by the general public. Don’t you think that this is negating the efforts of many associations to ban liquor and discourage the consumption of liquor? Shouldn’t we stop this development now?
Dr.D.Veerendra Heggade: We have appealed the government not to issue licenses for distribution of liquor or restrict the license with immediate effect. Members and representatives of ‘Jana Jagruti Vedike’ met our MLA and concerned minister to report this issue. I feel that the MLA should extend their support for disallowing license to open liquor stores for public distribution. There are many legislators in Karnataka who are supporting the initiatives of the Jana Jagruti Vedike in Deaddiction of drugs and alcohol. We need more support from legislators to take this issue to a logical conclusion.
Nagesh Desai: In view of the political developments in the State, do you think Jana Jagruthi Vedike and other associations will get the needed support to ban alochol from the Government?
Dr.D.Veerendra .Heggade: Certainly, yes. Political developments in the State and banning Alcohol or not giving license to liquor outlets is not connected. I am positive of getting the support from the government for banning the sale of liquor and opening for fresh outlets, which would negate the efforts of associations such as Jana Jagruti Vedike. Moreover, since the coalition government in Karnataka has to perform as it hangs on each other’s support for survival – it is imperative on their part to give pro-people governance and address our concerns which are in the interest of general public. Banning sale of Alcohol will get the outright support of Women folk. It will be a great initiative of the Government if they ban sale of alcohol. I feel, any step in this direction will be appreciated by all. Such actions are not like stirring a hornet’s nest but a positive developmental agenda in the best interests of the people of the state.
Nagesh Desai: From Akhila Karnataka Jana Jagruthi Vedike there are thousands of Jaathas and awareness programmes started for de-addiction of alcohol. Is there any change in the programme of Jana Jagruthi Vedike?
Dr.D.Veerendra .Heggade: We regularly change the programmes to involve more people to overcome from alcoholism. We have started the Sankalpa programme to overcome Deaddiction of alcohol. We are strengthening the Jana Jagruti Vedike including more volunteers in the Taluk and District level. We have released many videos as awareness to overcome from alcoholism. More than 3,000 Navajeevana Samithi have been formed. This is an association of de-addictions, to look after that the beneficiaries of the camp shall not repeat their evil practices and to vigil their members to establish a new life by renouncing the practice of alcoholism. We also award those members/association which bring in more addicts for Deaddiction to encourage and motivate them to work harder and eliminate such vices completely. Whichever volunteer introduces more than 25 addicts for Deaddiction at Jana Jagruthi Vedike will be honoured and recognized conferring him the title ‘Jagruthi Mithra’. We also honour those who bring more than 50 alcohol addicts to us with the title ‘Jagruthi Anna’.
Nagesh Desai: Most of the middle class and the lower middle class indulging in alcoholism spend most of their earnings in alcohol and make paltry savings hardly useful for their families? How do we need to correct this anomaly and what are your suggestions in this regard?
Dr.D.Veerendra .Heggade: We have been sparing all efforts and inculcating awareness to avoid being a slave of alcohol and pay attention to their families and their responsibilities towards society and their respective families. However, some of the addicts feel that alcohol is the ultimate provider of happiness and take too much time to come out of the problem despite several rounds of counselling. Most of the laborers who are either migrated from here or migrated from some other place to here do not have any source of spending their leisure constructively. We being locals have our relatives, friends and acquaintances to spend time and get some entertainment by attending the marriage and other functions. However, the migrants have no access to such gatherings and resort to alcohol which gives them instant pleasure. Such migrants; laborers in order to forget some painful incidents, derive instant pleasure indulge in such futile pursuits and become alcoholic. We cannot ignore such addicts and have a greater responsibility to ensure they come out of alcoholism through intensive counselling and making them understand about the perils of drinking.
Visits