Mangaluru: Dr Thomas Scaria, founder and Director of Ecolink Institute of Well-being received a Life Time Achievement Award from Dharmasthala for his meritorious services in three decades of anti-drug campaigns.
The Honorable Governor of Karnataka, Thawar Chand Gehlot handed over the award in a glittering ceremony at Amrithavarshini hall in Dharmasthala on Feb 15, 2023. The award was instituted by the Shree Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP) and Jana Jagruthi Vedhige (JJV) to recognize individuals who excel in prevention and management of substance abuse.
Dr Thomas Scaria, a social worker and senior journalist received this award for his three decades of effective campaign against drugs and alcoholism and for training hundreds of addiction professionals globally. The award includes a citation, memento and a cash award of Rs. 25,000.
Dr Veerendra Heggade, the Dharmadhikari (head) of Dharmasthala who instituted the Life Time Achievement Award said that Dr Thomas Scaria was the first recipient of this recognition, which will continue as a practice from this year. He congratulated the winner for his contributions to the community management of addiction and capacity building of the work force.
The honourable Governor of Karnataka, Thawar Chand Gehlot has given the award
to Dr Thomas Scaria. The Governor, a former federal Minister of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment underlined the need for more committed people to work among drug users and alcohol dependents. “Substance Use Disorder is growing day by day, and only a movement can curb its growth”, he said.
Dr Thomas Scaria started his mission on drug prevention in 1991 by initiating a student movement against addiction called Link Anti Addiction Action Group and later co-founding the Link Rehabilitation Center, where he served as its Director for 20 years. He joined Colombo Plan in 2010 and has coordinated several projects in addiction management and capacity building in more than 25 countries for almost 10 years before returning to India.
Currently, he is engaged in training addiction professionals from nearly 20 countries as the approved training provider of the Colombo Plan and as a global trainer under the UNODC.
The awarding ceremony was attended by more than 5,000 people, mostly recovering people from Dharmasthala’s community-based deaddiction camps and their family members from all over the state.
Vivek Vincent Pais who heads the deaddiction project under the Jana Jagruthi Vedhige told News Karnataka that Dharmasthala’s community-based recovery camps were supported by Dr Thomas Scaria in the initial years and “today, it is one of the largest community projects in the world with over 1500 camps to its credit and more than hundred thousand recovering addicts”.
The event also witnessed a book release on Children of Alcoholics titled “Neenu Ontiyalla” written by Dr Virupaksha Devaramane. The book was released by Madam Hemavathi in the presence of Dr Veerendra Heggade, Governor Hon. Thawar Chand Gehlot, Dr L.H. Manjunath and others.
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