DRUG ADDICTS DREAM NEW LIFE AT BALAJU REHAB

Kathmandu - "Not only your life but ours, your family's and yours
will improve if you stay here and kick the drug habit." This is how
Shyam Man Shrestha exhorted his grandson Sachit at the rehabilitation
centre set up at Balaju by the Maoist youth wing Young Communist League (YCL).

"My grandson has been here for 11 days and already there are marked
changes in him," he said after the inaugural of the centre Sunday.

Several earlier attempts by the family to free the 19-year-old boy
from his drug habit had failed.

The YCL cadres had caught him when he was using drugs and was brought
to the centre. The family knew about it two days later. "When I learn
about him being kept here we hope he will now get rid of drugs," the
grandfather said.

Rajesh Adik, another habitual addict, read out a poem appealing all
addicts to give up the killing habit and find a meaningful life.

Inaugurating the centre named Nawa Jeevan Griha Maoist central leader
and YCL in-charge, Barsha Man pun 'Ananta' said the factors that
induce youths into addiction must be checked. "Both the state and the
society should bear responsibility for the youths' deviant
behaviour," he said, adding, "Economic, political social and other
factors that lead one into drugs must be solved if the problem is to
be addressed."

He said that the centre was set up to curb drug trade and stop youths
from its abuse. "A new and elegant society along with new Nepal can
be built if the state identifies the causes of social evils and
anomalies and solves them in time."

Ananta said that the establishment of the centre was a part of the
YCL's campaign for national renaissance that started two months back.
"The League has been focussing on the problem ridden sectors, like
drug abuse, so that the attention of the state and other stakeholders
is drawn towards it," he said. "We are not posing ourselves as
solution givers, but only encouraging to find a solution."

He clarified that the League had improved a lot in its activities in
the last two months as it started focusing on social evils. "But
those who always are habituated to criticize us will find an excuse
to do so taking examples of confiscating drugs and destroying them
instead of giving to the police," he said pointing at the confiscated
drugs, such as ampoules, ibobrufin, diazepam, Phenergon and others
that were broken and buried.

Touching upon political issue he said that a new era had begun with
the inscription of federal democratic in the interim constitution.
"Now there will be a radical change in the security, administration,
state structure, economic sectors as well as the mentality of the
political parties."

Ananda Pun, chairman of Recovering Nepal, an NGO, working for the
addicts, commended the YCL for taking the case of drug abuse and
trying to give new life to the addicts.

He said that more than 60 organisations were affiliated to it and
they all are being run by people, who had recovered and
rehabilitated. "I myself was into drugs seven years ago, and ever
since I have been working to free friends from this habit without any
financial help from the government or others."

Clarifying that there was deep relation between HIV and drug abuse,
he asked all the concerned to address psychosocial as well as
emotional aspects of the users so that the problems are tackled and a
solution is found.

Hitman Shakya 'Suman', Maoist Newa state committee in-charge, urged
the youths to exercise self-discipline and stay away from all kinds
of bad habits. "A new Nepal means eradication of all factors that
lead youths to frustration and use of drugs."

Chandra Bahadur Thapa 'Sagar', YCL in-charge of the valley, said the
supply of drugs and their users would be curbed within four months if
it get cooperation from all sides.

At the programme, three persons involved in drug peddling were also
included in the rehabilitation. There are 44 persons in the centre.
According to YCL's record, there are about 70,000 drug abusers in
Kathmandu Valley alone and 180,000 across the country.