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‘Governance Now’ features Kalgidhar Society’s fight against drugs with Education
Written by Jasleen Kaur “Governance Now” publishes 2 articles on its initiative to transform lives through value-based education.
Governance Now is a prestigious fortnightly print magazine of the SABGroup Publishing Division. It is a multi-media initiative for participatory reportage and analyses related to the governance of all institutions and processes vital to India’s public life.
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Sant Baba Iqbal Singh Ji – A Messiah for the rural people
For Sant Baba Iqbal Singh Ji, education is more than books; it’s a means to keep the youth of Rural Punjab from taking drugs and hitting the bottle.
For most, retirement is a simple enough noun. It indicates the end of the work period. Not for Sant Baba Iqbal Singh Ji, though. For him, it was a new phase—working to change the lives of many others by providing them access to education at their doorstep in villages in Punjab.
Jagtar’s Story
The use of illicit drugs, which is concentrated among youth, has become a widespread menace in India, especially in Punjab.
You name a drug and its use is rampant in Punjab. While the rich get high on heroin and cocaine, the poor depend on bhukki, pharmaceutical drugs, and injections. Many get their daily dose from cough syrups.
For instance, Jagtar had barely stepped into his teens when he became a victim of drug abuse and started consuming bhukki, a residue of opium, which was a prevalent mode of addiction that was easily available in his village, Kakrala Bhaike, in Patiala district, like it is in most villages in the state. From heroin and cocaine to pharmaceutical drugs, the boy took them all in the next three years or so. And didn’t even realize what he was doing to his life.
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For such situations, under the guidance of revered Sant Baba Iqbal Singh Ji, the Kalgidhar Society, Baru Sahib, has initiated its work to bring back the glory of Punjab, making it free of drug and alcohol abuse, through the tool of education rooted in values.
A longlasting solution with a difference – Education
So what did Jagtar do differently?
Unlike many others, he did not take the de-addiction center route. Jagtar’s father sent him to the Akal Academy, which is managed by the Kalgidhar Trust, in the Himachal Pradesh district of Sirmaur. Within a year, he was off drugs, and he started studying like normal students, now baptized and studying free of cost.
Branching out
However, it was soon realized that establishing one academy in Himachal would not solve the problems faced by children in nearby districts. This was also the time when the drug and alcohol problem was increasing in Punjab and many families saw children going astray. Soon other Akal Academies were opened in rural areas of Punjab.
In its quest to fight drugs with books, they have established 129 low-cost CBSE schools and 2 universities, along with 2 Akal Drug De-Addiction and Rehabilitation Centers.
Education is the best solution to the Drug Menace
Akal Academies are tackling the narcotics and alcohol menace in Punjab by providing education in distinct rural areas. In a state where nearly 70 percent of households have at least one member addicted to drugs, this initiative has established an integrated multi-purpose center to combat substance and drug abuse. It aims to create awareness and educate people about the ill effects of alcoholism and substance abuse and provide a range of community-based services, value-based education, spiritual sessions, aftercare, and rehabilitation.
A whole generation has been destroyed because of drugs, but we can save the children by treating them and also bringing them on the path of value-based education. Punjab has various such examples, and Akal Academies have not just healed the youth to quit drugs; these academies are also motivating them to inspire other family members to say no to all kinds of addiction.
Shreya’s Story
Another live example is, Shreya (Identification changed), a student at Akal Academy, Cheema Sahib.
She used to be scared of her father, who often returned home drunk. As a result, she never interacted with him, as she was taught at school that alcohol makes a person handicapped and has been part of anti-drug rallies and street plays conducted by the school.
But one day, at dinner, she refused to share the table with her father, which changed her family’s life forever. The next day, her father came to her and promised that he would quit alcohol.
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There are many such heart rending stories
Akal Academies and Akal drug-deaddiction centers play an important role
The Akal Academy believes in imparting value-based education that meets the demands of the time and trains students to use their skills for society’s welfare. Akal Academies has several such branches in rural Punjab to help such children and their families quit drugs through value-based education. The aim is to make Punjab drug-free, educated, and spiritually aligned.
The two Akal drug-deaddiction centers are healing thousands of youth, including holistic drug and alcohol addiction treatment for men & women and mental illness support.
Akal Drug De-Addiction and Rehabilitation Centre has treated over 7,000 patients and pulled them out of this drug dungeon.
Kalgidhar Society takes another step to fight the drug menace
Inauguration of another Akal Drug De-Addiction Centre at Chunni Kalan
The Kalgidhar Society has taken a step ahead by announcing the setup of the 3rd Akal Drug De-Addiction Centre at Chunni Kalan, Punjab, on the eve of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which is another milestone in the ongoing spree of making society drug-free.
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Articles from the Governance Now Magazine
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