The Dawn Of NA In India

The seed of the NA tree in India, sown years ago by a addict struggling desperately, reaped its fruits  years after and continues to blossom all along. It was in the year 1978, that an addict, seeking recovery, wrote a Letter To NA WSO, with a hope that one day, his and the life of his friends would change. With his incessant correspondence effort with NA WSO and patients, the day arrived.

The first Narcotics Anonymous meeting was held in Mumbai at Mahim [Foundation Group] on the 8^th of September 1983. This NA meeting was also the first NA meeting ever held in the India region and had a handful of addicts desperate for recovery. The initial meetings were spent in trying to understand the program of recovery which was based on simple spiritual principles. A few pamphlets that were sent to these addicts formed the basis of those meetings. Very soon, the addicts began finding hope that, they too, like their brethren in other parts of the world could recover from the disease of addiction.

By 1989 there were NA meetings at seven places in Mumbai. Today the figure has grown. Drawing inspiration from addicts' experiences in Mumbai, addicts from other parts of India started NA meetings and began recovering. Today meetings are regularly held in various part of the country.

The initial efforts of the NA members to spread the message of recovery were largely individual. As NA grew in strength, it became more organized. Committees were formed to go to Hospitals and Detox Centers and share recovery experiences. Other committees to translate literature into local languages and to spread awareness about Narcotics Anonymous amongst the community were also formed. SIRSCONA, earlier IRF [Indian Regional Forum] was formed in the year 1991.

Narcotics Anonymous operates a network of meetings all over the world with a centralized administrative and service office and local service offices [click here to know more about NA service structure], involving voluntary work and contributions from members only.

Last Updated On 26 Apr 2008 10:13:39 AM