Visually challenged tipplers' doctor of Madhya Pradesh

Ghailgharh (Madhya Pradesh), March 3 : Visually challenged Nand Lal of Ghailgharh Village in Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi District with his anti-liquor campaign has earned the name of tipplers' 'doctor'.

Nand Lal, who is in his late twenties, is running an anti-liquor campaign in the tribal regions bordering Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh for two years. His approach is to recite various anecdotes in verse to influence tipplers.

Due to his unusual method (read treatment) to motivate people to leave drinking habit, Nand Lal has today turned a sort of tipplers' doctor! He is stated to have been successful in motivating over 100 villagers to give up their drinking and smoking habits.

He visits village houses and liquor vends to counsel the guzzlers on the harmful effects of alcohol. He appeals everyone using Ramayana texts.

"When I can't meet people, I visit their houses and motivate them to quit drinking and smoking and live a healthy life. I want people should get benefited with my campaign against liquor," said Nand Lal.

Villagers admit that Nand Lal has an amazing ability to convince the addicts by relating parables and singing songs.

"Earlier, all the people in village used to drink a lot and spend a major chunk of their earnings on liquor. But now Nand Lal is going to every house and motivating all the villagers to quit drinking for being harmful for health. He is asking all the villagers to learn music instead of indulging in bad habits like drinking and smoking. Almost all the villagers have quit drinking," said Lalji, one villager.

By and large, addiction to liquor has been the root cause of social and domestic discord as such the women lend their wholehearted support to Nand Lal in the anti-liquor campaign.

Nand Lal visits many villages within his reach periodically.

"We were facing lots of problems. My husband used to drink a lot. The neighbours also drink much so it was very difficult for us to stop my husband from drinking. But since Nandlal has told my husband about the bad effects of liquor, he has stopped drinking and everything is better now," said Prabhavati, a village housewife.

The success of Nand Lal's anti-liquor campaign is quite easily visible as a large number of tribals here can be found singing and dancing instead of drinking.

In addition to Madhya Pradesh villages, Nand Lal is also carrying out his anti-liquor campaign in Kakri, Rehta, and Kohral Village of Uttar Pradesh's Sonbhadra District.

Apart from the anti-liquor campaign, Nand Lal also runs a school in the village from his limited resources!

ANI