• Out of every three cases of suicide reported every 15 minutes in India, one is

committed by a youth in the age group of 15 to 29.

• In the Union Territory of Pondicherry, every month at least 15 youths between the
ages of 15 and 25 commit suicide.
• In 2002, there were 10,982 suicides in Tamil Nadu, 11,300 in Kerala, 10,934 in
Karnataka, and 9,433 in Andhra Pradesh.
• In 2003, the largest number of farmers -- around 175 -- committed suicide in Andhra
Pradesh.
• Kerala, the country's first fully literate state, has the highest number of suicides. Some
32 people commit suicide in Kerala every day.

09953758191, 9747719320ARUN KUMAR.A.B

www.punarjani.org E-mail: punarjanipoomala@yahoo.com

“Punarjani”(Re-Birth)
CHARITABLE TRUST F DR. Johns K. Mangalam
OR DE-ADDICTION & REHABILITATION
REG NO 217/2004,
POOMALA P.O. THRISSUR 680581, INDIA.
E-mail:
punarjanipoomala@yahoo.com
www.punarjani.org
Mereena Thomas- 09444949564
Sheeba Elizabeth Email : mariyam_sheebs@yahoo.co.in Phone : 9846451073
Beena k varughese Email : beenakvarughese@yahoo.in Phone : 9947931032

“Punarjani”(Re-Birth)
CHARITABLE TRUST FOR DE-ADDICTION & REHABILITATION
REG NO 217/2004,
POOMALA P.O. THRISSUR 680581, INDIA.
E-mail: punarjanipoomala@yahoo.com
www.punarjani.org
——————————————————————————————————
—————A New Venture for Recovery from
Alcoholism

Punarjani means the rebirth, yes, really it

is a rebirth not only for its founderer, Managing
Trustee DR. Johns K. Mangalam, but also for more
than 1000 alcoholic addicts and for their whole
family members.

This is really a miraculous achievement for

an NGO, which was formed by a group of Ex-
Alcoholics, who were victims of Alcoholism, some
persons affected by this malady and few humanists
who have real concern about them.

Punarjani is at Poomala, a sleepy village 16

km away from Thrissur town near
Mulamkunnathukavu. This organization is distinct
from any other organization due to its
peculiarities. This initiative is led by DR.
Johns K. Mangalam, who has several distinction
to this credit like two first ranks, a Ph.D.
Degree in Philosophy,now teaching at Sree Kerala
Varma College, Thrissur and was a practicing
Advocate .He was a severe Alcoholic for twenty
years but come out of it nine years ago.

Poomala which is the home village of DR.

Johnson also has the history of wide spread
Alcoholism because in the early days of migration
about 60 years back, the predominant population
here had been relying heavily on alcohol to pep
up their spirit in their struggle for survival
amidst harsh weather, attack of wild animals and
disease like malaria

Most of the first generation migrants used to

consume illicit liquor from their childhood. Many
of them lost their lives prematurely either due
to suicide and diseases like liver problems or by
accidents -all linked to alcoholism some way or
other. But even though DR. Johns belongs to this
group, by the grace of God he recovered from it
after many admissions and discharges from a
number of De-addiction treatment centers.

It was a chance realization for DR. Johnson

that, Alcoholism is a disease and from it anybody
can recover through adopting a new life style and
through prompt knowledge about the nature,
reasons, effects and methods of recovery from
it. When he recognized that his efforts to get
away from liquor were finally successful after
innumerable failures, he tried to influence his
friends and others to recover from the disease
which is being wrongly called as a “bad habit”.

Together with his friends who had also

recovered from Alcoholism and with the help of
some humanitarian friends they started an
organization with the goal to recover and
rehabilitate Alcoholics and their families and
also educate them about the evil influence of
alcohol.

Through out the last three and half years

they have been conducting Seminars, creative
discussions between the experts in this subject
and the public. They also conducted various
awareness camps and classes about the problems
faced by the alcoholics and the reasons along
with solutions for the condition of Alcoholism.
Now they are conducting an experiment with their
newly innovated means and methods to release an
Alcoholic from this condition.

Punarjani produced an audio-video CD about

Alcoholism by the same name Punarjani and
conducted the screening of the said documentary
at many places, in order to create awareness
about this disease. They distributed hundreds of
copies of the said documentary in the CD form
through out Kerala free of cost. Through the
tireless efforts of volunteers of Punarjani they
could act as a catalyst for the recovery of a
large number of alcoholic addicts within a very
short span of time.

Meanwhile they purchased one acre of land at

the beautiful and tranquil area adjacent to
Poomala Dam. Now at the said site in two small
sheds they are conducting a de-addiction center
by the name Punarjani Retreat Centre through
which they are experimenting and implementing
some newly generated ideas about the means and
methods of recovery from Alcoholism.

They emphasize the fact that alcoholism is a

family disease which not only affects the mind,
body and soul of an Alcoholic, but also affects
the whole family. Thus, they begin by motivating
the patient along with proper counseling and
education for the family members who had also
become mentally ill due to the impact or after
effects of Alcoholism on a person whom they
depend. In fact, they are the scapegoats of
Alcoholism.

Alcoholics usually resist undergoing any sort of

treatment due to two reasons. The formally
accepted methods of treatment which restrict the
total freedom of an Alcoholic by imprisoning him
in a De-addiction Center for a very long period
of time, and the use of heavy doses of medicines,
are not accepted by them, because they fear to
loss of the freedom which they ‘used to misuse’
for a very long period of time. Most of them
fear the use of any sort of medicine for recovery
from Alcoholism because from their experience
they know very well that it may create physical
and mental problems for them after treatment,
i.e. If they continue to consume liquor , in most
cases it may lead to death or paralysis of the
patient.

The possibility of the chance for failure in

the treatment and consequent withdrawal of moral
support and sympathy from the kith and kin, while
undergoing expensive treatment, may cause loss of
morale, especially if he does not recover
completely from Alcoholism even after the so
called rigorous treatment at any De- addiction
treatment Center.

It is in this respect that Punarjani differs

from any other recovery centers. Alcoholics are
united to join a combined effort to recover from
their condition by living and sharing together
for a period of 21 days at Punarjani, which has
“no walls and gates” and at which they will not
be compelled to consume any medicine or follow
any specific religion. They even advise the
patients to come voluntarily for the recovery,
after consuming a last peg.

A total change in the attitude of all the

members of the family of the patient and of the
society towards the Alcoholic and the recovered
Alcoholic is an essential pre-requisite for
recovery and long endurance of the newly obtained
sobriety of any Alcoholic. Unconditional moral,
financial and other support is inevitable for the
sustenance of the new state of life of a
recovered alcoholic

PUNARJANI- THE NEW APPROACHES OF PURNARJANI FOR

RECOVERY FROM ALCOHOLISM AND WHY IT IS NEW?

The most important hindrance to solve the

problem of Alcoholism is that Keralaites even
though they may be highly educated and
literate, are not properly aware of the fact
that Alcoholism is a disease from which anyone
can recover by adequate means and methods.

The other important hindrance to achieve and

fulfill the objectives of the TRUST, Punarjani
is that all the family members of an Alcoholic
will, in due course, become the victims of the
same disease, and all the members of the
family become prey to Alcoholism . The mental,
social, financial and family life of an addict
will make adverse impacts upon the mental,
social, financial life of the whole family and
will create complex problems in all spheres of
their life.

The fundamental principles or Axioms of

Punarjani about Alcoholism are that “Alcoholism
is a disease’’, “Alcoholism is a family
decease’’ and “there is no Medicine which can
offer recovery to the disease of Alcoholism’’.
 However, we can recover from the disease,
Alcoholism by some other means and methods and
so Punarjani advocates that a true awareness
about the real reasons and nature of Alcoholism
as a disease is the most important thing in
order to get rid of this disease.

Unfortunately even though we are very proud

of our high rate of literacy and educational
status, proper awareness about the causes,
reasons and the true nature and means of
recovery from this disease etc, are very low,
especially among the so called highly educated
people of Kerala, even today. The awareness
about this fatal disease “Alcoholism’’ is
inadequate, especially among the poor.
Punarjani believes that ignorance about
alcoholism in its various aspects as a
disease is the basic and most important
reason for Alcoholism in India, and
especially in Kerala with people - working
hard and earning money to spent on life’s
enjoyments and living with unbearable
quantity of tensions and worries .

The salient features and factors, which

differentiate the approach of Punarjani from
other De-addiction Centers, are that

There is No Medicine for the recovery from

this disease of Alcoholism
All attempts for the recovery from this
disease should be voluntary and with
the consent of the Patient and thus
unnecessary and heavy Medicine should not be
prescribed.

Denial of freedom to an Alcoholic by

imprisonment is the most important hindrance
for making him aware of the true nature of
his disease and its impacts up on his family
.So don’t curtail the freedom of Alcoholics by
imprisonment.
 Provide adequate opportunity to reveal the
broken heart of each Alcoholic to anybody who
wish to listen and can understand the
circumstances and emotions of an Alcoholic,
at any time, anywhere.

Offer the help of recovered Alcoholics to

motivate, to create awareness of the damages
caused by it to each of them and to provide
chances for them to inter act with many other
Alcoholics without discrimination of caste,
creed, education and social or financial
status.

Provide the healing touches of natural love

as the Medicine for Motivation and Recovery

FREEDOM

Freedom from unnecessary bondages is very

important for an Alcoholic, because he, as an
Alcoholic is the person who lavishly enjoyed
and misused freedom by virtue of his disease or
as a symptom of his disease.

So Punarjani believes that whenever he is

compelled to restrict his freedom, he will not
co-operate with the means and methods or
attempts of recovery from Alcoholism.
Restriction of his freedom by imprisonment will
generate a rebellious attitude in the minds of
Alcoholics and thus their minds will not listen
to what he may hear about his disease.

An intellectual conviction about the true

nature of this decease, its symptoms, reasons,
remedy, means and methods of recovery are
essential for the recovery of an Alcoholic.
Unfortunately, while the patient is under the
state of imprisonment and restrictions he is
not able to co-operate with the persons who can
impart the required knowledge about Alcoholism
and the successful means and methods for
recovery from it.

Thus PUNARJANI has no gates for its De-

addiction Centre. Instead anybody can enter and
if he wishes to go, he can do so without any
restriction except sympathetic persuasion to
continue the stay .Thus the impulse to escape
from Punarjani in order to have a drink can be
overcome by a patient. All they have here is a
communal living together, which enables the
patients to learn from the life experiences,
losses, hopes, achievements and expectations of
other Alcoholics through open sessions of
personal, family and group counseling which are
totally different from closed, artificially
created, time bound and officially recognized
and accepted modes of counseling. Both
recovered and recovering patients participate
in these modes of counseling with out any
prejudice or reservation but with wholehearted
involvement.

There is a typical language for communication

between Alcoholics. The languages of
sophisticated counselors are mostly alien and
not acceptable to alcoholics. Therefore, a
lesson or message expressed by an Alcoholic in
his own language could reach at the
understanding faculty of another Alcoholic or
in other words, an academically qualified,
technically educated counselor may not express
the same lesson or message to the reasoning
faculty of another Alcoholic as another
Alcoholic, whether recovered or not. He may try
to impart his ideas and thoughts through his
sophisticated language and style, but that may
not create the expected result to an
Alcoholic. For the life and distinct
experiences of an Alcoholic are very different
and distant from that of a Non-Alcoholic,
however empathetic or sympathetic he may be.
‘Punarjani’ believes and experiences the fact
that, the healing touches of love, sympathy,
compassion, protection and care etc will
produce a tremendous impact up on the life and
thoughts of an Alcoholic.

With dedication and care, we can build up

confidence and courage in the shattered,
dejected and confused minds of Alcoholics.
Moreover, the intervention of many recovered
Alcoholics will motivate, and inspire with the
required determination, will power, hope and
self-estimation an Alcoholic who is fallen to
the state of hell, misery and defeat. A very
short span of time spent with the inmates of
“PUNARJANI’’ will make tremendous impact upon
the life of an Alcoholic and indirectly that of
the family, his society and on succeeding
generations.

Alcoholics can recover from their disease

through self-awareness of the reasons,
symptoms, impacts, means and methods of
recovery of Alcoholism. They can achieve this
here, through self -effort and with the help
and assistance of other recovered Alcoholics.
However due acceptance of recovered Alcoholics,
by their family and society as a whole, is very
essential for the sustenance of the recovered
sobriety of any Alcoholic.

The net work of the family members of

Alcoholics, who happen to get a chance to stay
at “PUNARJANI’’ for a period of 21 days, will
act as the supporting group for every newly
recovered Alcoholic .The intimacy and affection
expressed among the similarly aggrieved and
suffering patients will have a strength
stronger than that of any other group. Thus, in
fact each and every person who under goes this
recovery process at “PUNARJANI’’ will become a
healer of other Alcoholics. Thus, we can feel
the wonder created by the intervention of
WOUNDED HEALERS upon the patients at
“PUNARJANI’’

Alcoholism is not a sin. Moreover, the grace

and intervention of the unseen power that we
call by different names such as Jesus, God,
Allah, Ram, and by other numerous names, is
inevitable for the permanent recovery of an
Alcoholic form his disease. At “PUNARJANI’’,
everybody is free to choose his own Deity as he
himself conceives it. Because “PUNARJANI’’
believes that, in order to fight and defeat the
disease Alcoholism, we need the help of a power
that will be stronger than Alcohol, which has
already defeated us. The belief and prayers
offered by an Alcoholic and his suffering
family will reap its fruits, for his recovery
and future prosperity, through the unexpected
interventions of God, for which we may not
have adequate and reasonable explanations.

By sharing, we can increase happiness and by

sharing, we can decrease sadness. The feelings
of helplessness, worthlessness,
rejection,marginalization etc will be reduced
and even eliminated.

By the same process of open and voluntary

sharing of thoughts, experiences and hopes,
among the inmates of “PUNARJANI’’, we can
impart hopes and expectations, energy,
confidence and the will to achieve and escape
from Alcoholism and to win the fight against
the disease of Alcoholism.

A total, voluntary and unconditional

surrender by the patient is essential for his
recovery because the important and primary
symptom and characteristic of this disease of
Alcoholism is EGOISM, which is baseless and
false.

Renovation of the life of an alcoholic

through counseling, Meditation Yoga,
Hypnotherapy, Faith, Change in values, Life
style, Beliefs and Relationships is also a very
significant requirement for complete recovery
and sustenance of recovered sobriety of an
Alcoholic. It is only through the unconditional
help, assistance, and acceptance obtained from
the family and society an alcoholic can recover
permanently from the disease of Alcoholism.

Thus for the recovery of an alcoholic, the

participation, involvement and change in the
social, mental, financial and spiritual spheres
of the patient and his family along with
revolutionary changes of society’s approach and
attitudes towards Alcoholics as ‘Patients’ is
very essential The public is the foremost enemy
of any Alcoholic.Those who may attempt to
assist the recovery of an Alcoholic may not be
treated as a Good Samaritans .Because,most of
the consumers of alcohol and social drinkers
are not in agreement with the idea of a Retreat
Centre for the recovery of a person from the
habit of regular consumption or abuse of
alcohol. Most of the addicts of Alcohol will
not even accept the fact that he himself is now
become a patient of the disease Alcoholism and
in order to recover from this fatal disease he
needs external help and assistance including
medicine and counseling.

‘Punarjani’ Charitable Trust is doing a very

great service in this field by making people
aware about the adverse effects of alcohol and
the truth that alcoholism is a disease and also
about the proper means and methods to be
followed in order to recover from Alcoholism
and to sustain the sobriety of a recovered
alcoholic till his death.

“PUNARJANI’’ is also doing selfless services

and exemplary works in the field of
rehabilitation of alcoholics and their affected
relatives to live and recover their lost
mental, social, economical and spiritual status
and also to heal the psychological wounds and
all sorts of losses caused byto his disease -
Alcoholism. It is an attempt to recover the
lost dignity and integrity of a person, who
happens to be an addict of alcohol for a long
period .It is very difficult for our social
mind to accept an addict even if he totally
recovered from his habit or disease,which was
actually an illness of body, mind and spirit.

It is an accepted fact that, in its complete

sense only about 10 % persons among alcohol
consumers may became Alcoholics. They are
totally helpless by themselves to recover from
their illness and they need external assistance
for their physical, mental and spiritual
renovations in all spheres of life for their
complete recovery. Nevertheless, the other 90%
of alcohol consumers firmly believe and
propagate that they can start, control and stop
the habit of consuming alcohol at their will at
any point of time. It is true for them, for
these 90% of alcohol consumers but not for the
other 10% of alcohol consumers who become
addicts by that time.

Unfortunately, one among the many symptoms of

Alcoholism ,the false ego prevents them from
accepting and admitting their present position
that they are slaves, victims and addicts of
alcohol. Thus without demarcation both the
addicts and social drinkers are not willing to
accept the fact that Alcoholism is a disease.
Let us consider the general opinion or views
of the pubic about Alcoholism. They are
generally un aware of the fact that Alcoholism
is a disease and as for any other disease it
also needs adequate means and methods of
treatment for the recovery from it. Moreover,
to them an alcoholic abuser is a social outcast
and an anti-social, unfit to be tolerated, a
burden to the community and family, a bad man,
an irresponsible liar without any promptness in
action and word. For them it is a futile
 effort on the part of “PUNARJANI’’ to start and
run a Retreat Centre for De Addiction &
Rehabilitation of Alcohol-Addicts and thus they
are least interested in becoming involved with
the projects of “PUNARJANI’’.

The persons who are in need of and who are

eagerly waiting for the actualization of this
project are the adversely affected persons i.e.
Alcoholics and their dependents. They are
beings suffering directly and indirectly from
the disease of Alcoholism. The after effects
of Alcoholism, such as, ‘black outs’,
hallucinations, fluctuating moods, humiliation,
cruelty and losses in all spheres of their
life, in due course etc will make each of them
a victim of alcohol and make them mental
patients. However, a son, brother or spouse can
by themselves can do very little to help an
Alcoholic, because their capacity for that will
be lost by constant association with an
alcoholic who may be their Bread Winner.
We can see for ourselves by a simple visit to
“PUNARJANI’’ at Poomala, the silent village 13
Km away from Thrissur town, that the efforts of
this very small organization has created vast
changes in the lives of more than hundreds of
Alcoholics and their family members with in a
short span of time and with in-adequate
facilities or essential requirements.

But Definitely we can predict that

“PUNARJANI’’ will change the lives of thousands
of Alcoholics ,their family members and next
generations .Thus we, the so called Samaritans
feel inspired to promote and help this NGO.

Ph.0487-2201332, 0487-2208304, 09747201015.

Please Visit Our Site
www. Punarjani.org
And promote us by all possible means
Mr .Santhosh,Thrissur