SATYAMEV JAYATE – THINK BEFORE YOU DRINK - An Excellent Effort by Aamir Khan - Deserves All Praise and Support

SATYAMEV JAYATE

ALCOHOL  ABUSE – THINK BEFORE YOU DRINK

Aamir Khan is different. He is not the average Glamour-seeking, Popularity seeking Film personality – though, he is glamorous and Popular. He gets then as Bonus – apart from what he seeks to achieve through his movies. 

Aamir, to me, looks like an intense individual, who wants to make a difference to all people around.

His movies are therefore different. They do not merely entertain. They create an impression. They evoke some thought processes, which linger – longer than most other movies of today - in the minds of the audience.

His SATYAMEV JAYATE – is much different from any of the movies he makes. They stand on a much higher pedestal. 

How many have watched these Satyameva Jayathe episodes – I do not know. But, how many should watch – this, I think, I know.  All of us should. If not already done, now is the time.

Yes. I have also not seen all the EPISODES. But, I saw this Episode on “THINK BEFORE YOU DRINK” yesterday - twice. It was Excellent; It was Brilliant ; and It was purposeful; And, it went straight into the heart.

This episode, and may be many more like it, were needed sixty years ago, when India became FREE.

An Aamir Khan was therefore needed sixty years ago – to make such episodes. India would have become REALLY FREE – from the real Dictators of our life – like Alcohol, drugs, Smoking and….. so on.  Crusaders against these real enemies would have had lot of public support and political support and success back then.

Today – such support is  likely to be considerably less. The fight against ALCOHOLISM is therefore that much more difficult.

There are more Politicians, more film personalities, more leaders in other fields, more students, more fathers  and more- of everybody – who are drunkards today – than 65 years ago.

The worst of all changes that is taking place today is that– the last hope – the young educated woman – is taking to Drinking – very fast. And she protests more, when others advice or object. In a scenario like this, this episode of Satyameva Jayate – is a refreshing contrast. 

End to end – the Episode was absorbing, educating, inspiring and refreshing. Stephen covey, the writer of the Seven habits of Highly Effective people – says in one of his books that - the main thing in life is to keep the main thing the main thing. This Episode is successful in focusing on the Main thing as the main thing. 

The important thing throughout the Episode is that – Aamir preaches or teaches almost nothing himself.

People, who are badly bruised in their own life due to their Alcohol Addiction, speak – of themselves and their life; and very candidly. How they got in to it, how they suffered on account of it, how they got out of it, and how they are now. 

Vijay Sinha, (Executive Editor, Financial world) is one such live example. We must thank him for coming forward and telling us all – how alcohol can become your Master and your most cruel Dictator and reduce you - to worse than the road-side Beggar and worse than the most unethical persons around you – all under the control of Alcohol. 

The important thing is – there is hope; one can come out of it. It needs that strong, tough decision – and there is huge support, once the addict makes an iota of effort and comes into the right company. Vijay Sinha has demonstrated it all with his own LIFE EXAMPLE. He was an effective speaker and an honest confessor – almost in the Gandhian Genre. I can’t help recalling how Gandhi talks of his own failures in his Book “My Experiments with Truth”. Such Public confessions of people who have reformed - are the best way of reforming others.

Mr.Javed  Akthar, the famous film writer, was equally candid about how he got into this habit and how got out of it. He talks of -  how young people feel that drinking is glamorous and how Filmy Heroes look and act like Heroes after drinking. In reality, drunken people don’t act like heroes; they do utterly stupid and dangerous things.

You don’t get drunk with Milk, even after a decade. You won’t say, I drank one cup of milk then, I drink ten now. It is only Alcohol, which gets you down the hill along with it. Akthar candidly says - Whatever bad and foolish things  I did, I always did under the influence of  alcohol. He says, he has left alcohol over 20 years ago and is totally from it now. Getting Drunk is foolish. Do you want to be A FOOL-  asks Akthar. It is good that he came out with his candid  views on alcoholism.

Dr.Ashish Deshpande  says – Alcoholism is not just a Habit which depends on the Individual. It is really a disease like diabetes. The person who takes Alcohol first time, in his mind, Alcohol receptors take roots. Every time, he drinks, these receptors go on increasing.

These receptors unionise – and demand Alcohol periodically. Every festival occasion and every  important occasion in your life, they demand Alcohol. Come what may. And resisting their demand becomes increasingly difficult.

But, People don’t realize that they have this disease. This is the first hurdle. Ask them – Are your neighbours any time advising you to stop? Or, do you get angry if people say, please reduce your drinking. Sometimes, when you get up from Bed, are your hands trembling and you want to drink – to become normal? This disease goes on increasing progressively – without looking like one. But, it takes its toll on you.

If you are diseased, you are responsible for taking the treatment. The problem is not just stopping alcohol today – but consistently avoiding it permanently  thereafter – says Dr.Deshpande.

You need that desire – to stay away from alcohol. At the earliest - contact alcoholics anonymous.

Another individual, who wishes to be anonymous in the tradition of ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS – calls himself Lakshmanji and he said he could not live without alcholol for several years. When he heard AA will cure him free, he could not believe it at all. After all, he has spent 40 lakhs on this so far. He was of course, a devout person. After puja, he used to drink. One Day, on TV he saw the alcoholics  anonymous Ad. He contacted them – and then onwards life changed for him. With some difficulty, of course. But the contact with AA was the turning point.

The people at AA were so cordial, so understanding, so reassuring and hope-giving. He has stopped drinking now for 15 years. He is now getting the real Joy of Life.

The Program at this point gives the method of contacting AA – as below :

SMS TO 56363

TYPE AAAA FOLLOWED BY NAME, ADDRESS, CONTACT NUMBER

OR

CALL 09022771011

I am giving this Info here – with the hope that readers will inform the suffering persons or their well-wishers quickly and urge them to get in touch with AA.

Aamir says, there is another action, people can take. In states like Punjab, Haryana and Maharashtra – the Governments have empowered the Panchayats – to take a decision in their Panchayats – and if they do – all alcohol shops in their Panchayats will have to close down. One such Panchayat in Punjab (changaal village)– came on TV and detailed how they got these shops closed in their village – and how their live improved subsequently. The villagers say – Governments must not look for revenue in the ruining of the people.

People sometimes say - I am not a drunkard. I drink rarely. But, when they drink, they drink too much and do all bad and ugly things that day. It is called HAZARDOUS DRINKING. In such occasional but excessive drinking - one can even take away one’s own life or the life of others.

Karan Anand, a promising youngster died precisely of such reason. He died because of his friend’s drunken driving. His father described how. Mr. Anand described how his son was not at all drunk, but lost his life sitting in a car driven by his drunken friend. In the hands of a drunken man, the car becomes a weapon. Mr. Anand says – Police must do their duty more consciously – in getting the drunken drivers convicted – which is not happening now. If they do – things may improve to some extent.

Aamir says - please AVOID TRAVELING in vehicles driven by drunken Drivers-whether a friend, senior, or an elderly man. What happened to Karan should not happen to others.

Many families are affected in which the Bread winner or the children take to drinking.

Dr.Vivek Benegal says - around 5% of drinkers become alcoholics. Hazardous drinkers are about 50% of total alcoholics . Which means – this huge number can bring problems to anyone – themselves and others. 

In many foreign countries –what is usually called social drinking – is limited to a maximum of 1,2, 3 or maximum 4 pegs. But, in India, the average person drinks 5 to 8 – which is much more than the upper limit in other countries. 1-4 is ruled out. Starting point is 5. So, alcoholism is more in India than these foreign countries.

Most accidents are due to such drunken people. On festival and new year eve occasions many deaths and accidents happen in India due to drunkenness.

So what do we do ? Aamir says - preferably stop drinking totally. If you can’t, at least reduce it to the barest minimum.

But, I strongly urge - please contact AA – at the earliest - and before it is too late.

Thanks Aamir – for your wonderful effort. I think, this episode is worth translating into all Indian languages (English included) – and playing it in all colleges, companies (especially software companies) and schools.

I urge Readers to see this episode – it is on Youtube also – and ask others too – to see it.

With Best wishes

Sd/-

(V.Vijayamohan)