SUCCESS STORY

Navjyoti has, over the years, many a success stories to share.  One of them is reproduced below.  These are the words of an ex policeman and a recovering addict — his story, in his own words :

My name is Prakash (name changed), aged 27 years, hailing from the rural surroundings of Delhi, eldest among two brothers and two sisters. Children of an ex-serviceman, we had a pleasant life under the care of our doting mother. Mine is a story worth sharing amongst the youth of today to prevent their deterioration while holding responsibilities as proxy head of the family in the absence of my father who used to be on outstation postings.

We had a small dairy at home having five to six buffaloes being looked after by my mother. Being the eldest, I used to help her in the dairy and in all domestic chores. I was a very obedient child, but not for long.

I was an average student until high school. My promotion to the senior secondary level of education also led to my degeneration in my personal and social life. Coming from a rural background, I befriended all my rural colleagues especially Ramesh, a wrestler whose company I begun to enjoy
immensely. We got into all kinds of brawls, infact we went out in search of reasons to antagonize people and then pick up fights with them. This led us to terrorizing people, eventually making us the local so called heroes in the society. It gave me tremendous pleasure in dealing with my newly
acquired subjects - people, earlier traumatized by us and now at our beck and call. Mass cheating in the terminal examinations enabled me to surge further in my academic career. Teachers were too unconcerned to point out. My family was oblivious of all these happenings as I was back home in time
for the milking of the cattle.

I was 17, and now in company of small time traders. This is when I was offered alcohol for the first time. Considering it macho to drink, I liked the kick received as a result instantly. Slowly I started consuming it on a regular basis. To supplement my resources, I used to pocket the balance of money given to me by my mother for purchases of house hold items. However, Ramesh drifted away as he did not like my drinking. It was no problem for me.

I had now entered college. My father had retired and his meager pension coupled with the income from the cattle was just about enough to feed six people. I wanted more. I had to show off more. It was then that I was offered a cigarette laced with charas. I felt heavy initially but somehow liked the soothing effect it had on my tense mind.

The college fee was quietly pocketed by me for my enjoyment. Going to college was the least priority. Attendance was short, but it was manly for us to get clearances for appearing in the examinations on muscle power. My advances were noticed by my father who resented but my mother made him see
reasons. I had begun to get closer to my uncle who was a transporter. Meeting him provided me with opportunities of travelling in his trucks in the company of his drivers who offered me opium and liquor freely. I started learning driving thinking that it would provide me with a good future - full of money, travel, drugs, liquor and ensure my staying away from the objecting eyes of my father.

My father wanted to see me settled in a job. Incidentally, recruitment was on in Delhi Police and I applied. After clearing the physical tests, I sat for the written examination, which eventually got cancelled as the question papers had leaked. I had now to wait for the re-exams.

Having nothing to do I spent my time with my friends gambling, taking drugs and alcohol, going to movies and just hanging out generally. I had a couple of rich friends with me who funded our soirees. I wanted to spend like them and not being able to do so made me more depressed. To earn more I now got into another field - fixing. I tried to get odd jobs done for people by odd means. I even managed to sell off a car of a friend, which was involved in an accident case and was required by the Court of Law as evidence, by forging papers and greasing palms in the transport department. Similarly, sometimes I used to get people their ration cards, driving licenses etc. This earned me a reputation in the field of unauthorised arbitration, which I possessed for long. This situation was enduced by the habit of folding hands in front of those who mattered while ensuring that there were many who folded hands in front of us.

A non-confident and hesitant re-appearance in the Police entrance re-examination somehow saw me through. My parents had been suggested to offer bribes to ensure clearance in the exams, but the price demanded was heavy and thus out of their reach. Luck was at my side and the only hurdle now left was of a personal interview. My relatives turned down my request for making efforts in approaching the right people, as they all disliked me for my wayward ways. However, my luck smiled again and I was selected. As there was no Police record on me, I managed to score on account of vigilance clearance too aided by the fact that my Character verification was smoothened by the Principal of my College.

I underwent training for nine months in the training school at Kingsway Camp, Delhi. During this term, I could still manage to consume liquor despite the watchful eyes of those in charge. This was formalised by conniving with the Instructor whose liking of the bottle was uncensored by the local washerman. What's more, I even managed to get my share of Charas during the training days. However, I completed my training properly.

Successful completion of the training got me transferred to active policing and no sooner I found myself deputed to receive Commando Training. Here I met a few acquaintances who got me introduced to the Instructor and we drew closer. The atmosphere here was totally different from the Training School. The Instructor used to drink daily and so did almost 50 % of the trainees. I again became the facilitator for the ever help seeking trainees and getting their odd jobs sanctioned by the Instructor in consideration for a bottle. I particularly got closer to Baldev, another rural lad who
regularly offered me Charas. Visiting home was not a problem as the Instructor was in my hands. Unrecorded leave was always available.

These good days had to get over. They did. I developed differences with the Instructor and he started marking me absent and giving punishments, which became slowly severe to bear. However, I completed my training and was posted at the P.M. House.

I was maturing now. I started working on improving relations. My mother got me married to a local girl. My marriage had its share of controversies as my father had invited my uncle against the wishes of my mother and me. There was a lot of commotion then.

On my suggestions, my family sold off the buffaloes and we bought a Mini Truck after taking small loans from wherever we could. I had a dream come true for me. The truck took me to different places on work and I could stay away from my home and my job, which I suddenly began to lose interest in.
My wife always tried to make me understand things, but could not go beyond a certain limit. My liking of being on the highways soon drifted me away from my job and I used to absent myself more frequently. Notices from the department started coming home. I joined back. Absenteeism ensued again. This went on for some time.

My family got worried and wanted me to be punctually on the job. It was not to be. Not till my driving around got me my share of liquor and drugs.

Business got bad. The truck met with an accident and I too got hurt - damages were more than physical injuries this time. No one was there for me, when I wanted them. No one now saluted me. The Creditors started pressing me for recovery. The vehicle was standing idle. My job was unstable. I needed my drinks and I had no money. For the first time in my life, I started stealing and selling household goods.

No show off was possible now. I hated to go back to the force. Seven months passed. Upon receiving threats of my relatives and especially of my in-laws to take away my wife, I reported for my duties. A Departmental Enquiry was ordered which found me guilty and my services were terminated.
This information was prevented form reaching my family members by me, but not until long. They came to know when a constable reached home with the news which shattered my family completely.

The family had no buffaloes now, no job and an irresponsible son who had become a liability. We were driven to the verge of starvation save for my father's meager pension.

I had lost touch with everyone I knew. I had no where to go. A concerned person informed my family about Navjyoti De-addiction treatment Centre where I went finally for the better.

I am of the view that had my family kept a check on me and my activities and reviewed my acts at the right time, I would not have deviated. Also they should not have given me those rights which I did not deserve. I did not receive proper and firm guidance early enough that it is education and not showing off which gets you where you aim to reach. I believe my parents should have withdrawn me from the school and arranged my education via correspondence. Though my father always questioned me, he never became an obstruction. He protested, but never became the barrage to prevent me from
degeneration. Further, being the eldest, I had the responsibility of my father - an authority that can also be misused - as it happened in my case.

My family, especially my wife and in-laws threatened me about distancing from me, but it was a step taken too late. This should have been taken well in time and implemented, not just threatened. The family should have not tolerated my decaying state and had they insulted and rebuffed me, things
could have been prevented.

My teachers too never reported my extra - curricular activities to my parents. There was no follow-up. Teaching is not just a profession. They should have acted as counselors too. In my case, they became facilitators of my decline. They facilitated my copying in the exams and the Principal even
issued my Character Certificate. I lost respect for my teachers in the school itself and this went on till my police training days.

Similarly, my training in the Police Force should have included compulsory moral and spiritual training. The Instructors should have been checked as to what they were instructing. Senior supervision was totally lacking. Ironically I learnt all the techniques of extraction but not much on being a compassionate policeman.

The local authorities too had a major role to play in my case. I had no adverse police record. At least my name should have figured in the General Confidential Neighborhood record. This could have prevented my entry into the police force, a position where I had thousands of innocent individuals
at my mercy.

My dismissal from the Police has been a blessing in disguise for me. Also it was good that I never got a district police posting. Had I been there, my manipulative nature would have ensured my further retrogression into the field of crime. What I have now learnt after my Police days, should have been taught during my training.

Prakash is now a realised / aware man. He has applied for reinduction in the poice on humanitarian grounds.