Pubdate: Mon, 26 Dec 2011 Source: Deccan Herald (India) Copyright: 2011 The Printers (Mysore) Private Ltd., Contact: http://www.deccanherald.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4809 Author: Jyotsna Singh ADDICT-FELON TURNS ROLE MODEL, THANKS TO DE-ADDICTION CAMP Shaukat Symbolises Change That Many Like Him Have Undergone Shaukat of Jahangirpuri started taking drugs at the age of 10 while in Class 4. Due to addiction, he dropped out of school and took to stealing. Now, he is a reformed man of 22 years, projected as a role model at the city's first permanent drug de-addiction centre for juvenile delinquents at Kingsway Camp. Come New Year, he will begun work as a cook at the canteen of the de-addiction centre where he was treated from May to October this year. Shaukat started with a few drags of hash given by some school friends, only to become an addict a few days later. He stole money from the family-owned grocery shop to fulfil needs of his addiction, subsequently dropping out of the school. Five years later, he started consuming smack which would cost him him a few hundred rupees a day. To meet the cost of his habit, he engaged in burglary, at times of lakhs of rupees from bungalows. "We used to go in groups for theft. In the biggest case of theft, my share was Rs eight lakh," said Shaukat. It was a matter of time when he became a known offender in police books. Since the age of 14 he was being caught for theft in a number of cases. The de-addiction centre at the Juvenile Justice Board's Sewa Kutir Complex was started in May 2011 after a High Court directive. Six juveniles with criminal background, with Shaukat as the eldest, were lodged there for medical and therapeutic help. Till now, nearly the centre has treated 220 delinquents, with only few like Shaukat who had crossed the age limit. Though addiction in some of them has relapsed, most have shown signs of improvement. "The story of Shaukat is the most common story here. It is not criminals who become drug-addicts, but it is their addiction that leads to stealing. At times, they engage in murder to hide their theft," said Kripi Malviya, psychologist, Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses (SPYM) which runs the centre for the government. The treatment is divided into two phases -- three months of de-addiction and next three months of rehabilitation. "Rehabilitation involves non-formal education for children under 14 years of age while the ones from age 14 years to 18 years are given vocational training in either laundry or at our food centre," said Malviya. She added that the average age of delinquents is 15 years at the centre. She said that only a few of them are street children as most of them have settled families in Delhi. "We are promoting Shaukat as the role model for other children to give them the confidence that they can also lead a life acceptable to the society," said Malviya. Shaukat is still dealing with his high levels of anger and aggression. However, by his own admission, he has stopped blaming others for all the problems in life, an attitude that is common among drug-addicts. Loopholes that need attention * The courts depend on oral testimony to demarcate a drug-addict from the others. No medical test is carried out to know the truth. * All addicted delinquents are clubbed together at one place, disregarding customised therapy needed for different kinds and levels of addiction. * Many rehabilitated children are inducted as volunteers without monitoring. There is a possibility of a relapse in company of fresh delinquents. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.