NATIONAL10 [(Spotlight Weelky)]

‘For A Fistful Of Rupees’

— YOSHREE

Experts say 90 percent of the youth in Nepal face addiction-related risks. AKSHAY SHARMA recently met a 26-year-old man, who wanted to be identified as Yoshree, who spoke about the hideous turns his life had taken. He explained to SPOTLIGHT how drugs and other social ills influenced him and how his life changed when he found out that his sister had been sold to a brothel in Bombay. He believes he can be of help to agencies fighting the drug menace and the flesh trade. Excerpts:

How did you get into drugs?

Drugs were legal in Kathmandu in the 70s and society plunged into them. Most of the addicts were frustrated youth. Many were influenced by seniors.

What influenced you?

When I was 14 or 15, I was influenced by gang fights and things like that. I noticed that some seniors were smoking cigarettes. So I picked up the habit, which led me on a completely different path. Some people did it for the sake of friends and brotherhood. Others did it out of frustration and desperation. Some of my friends died because they shared needles.

Do you see hope for people who want to get out of their addiction?

Some people like me have survived and recovered. You need proper guidance for that. These people need to be taken away from their old environment. Parental guidance plays a big role. Many addicts I have met say they were influenced by movies. I have seen some people who have synchronized their lives with music and drugs.

How did you get deeper into this quagmire?

I started out with cigarettes, then went on to try marijuana. I was frustrated with life when I found out that my sister had been sold to a brothel in Bombay. I was too small to do anything for her. Until then, I did not know I had a sister.

Who was the person that sold her?

His name is Babu Ram Tamrakar. I do not understand why he had to sell my sister for a fistful of rupees. He himself later died of AIDS. I do not know how things turned that way. My father was in the Royal Nepal Army and died in Lebanon. After I knew I had a sister, I went to Bombay. I now know that some high-class people were behind the whole affair.

How did the family that was supposed to take care of you treat you?

They did not treat me very well. Then I left their home and worked for some months in Chinatown Restaurant in Thamel. I often went to see my sister in Bombay, but we could not face each other because of the circumstances. It was hard on both of us. I worked at Santa Cruz Juice House in Bombay as a cashier for a year.

What did you do next?

I went to Sikkim and joined the Boys Club there. Then began what I thought was a promising career in sports. But soon I met with an accident while working at a diesel power company there. I was bed-ridden for two months. That spelled the end of my soccer career

Why didnít you go to the higher authorities or the police for help?

I was too small then. I do not remember what I was accused of, but I had to suffer when I went to the police. I have heard about NGOs like Maiti Nepal who are working in this area, but Iím a small fish in this cruel ocean. Who will listen to me? I have seen women running away from brothels in Bombay, but the police often take them back to that hell.

Did your father leave behind any property?

I remember we used to own some land in Arubari in Bauddha. But I was too young to understand those things. And since my father was mostly away, I was in one boarding school or another as a child. But the property my father must have left behind was fraudulently taken away from me. I never got a penny.

What about now?

I have survived this roller-coaster ride. But the images come back to haunt me at times. I will fight this disease. I think I could be of help to agencies working against such drugs and women trafficking. My battle against the kind of people that ruined my life will continue. Yoshree can be contacted at Yoshree11@yahoo.com