Thousands attend awareness meet against alcohol
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, NOV 12
Goa’s pop star Remo Fernandes, Bollywood Actor Johnny Lever joined thousands of Goans and others at the Ravindra Bhavan on Friday to spread the message against alcohol consumption.
At the public awareness meeting at the Ravindra Bhavan to commemorate the 75 years of Alcoholic Anonymous, Remo conveyed a message loud and clear not to wait for the problem of drinking to hit rock bottom. “Don’t feel embarrassed to admit that you have a problem regarding alcohol. You don’t feel ashamed and embarrassed to drink in a bar and get drunk”, he said.
The Goan pop star lamented that alcohol is a problem facing Goan society, with more bars being found along sides than libraries and book stalls. Remo said that instead of keeping the problem within the four walls of the house, one must share the problem at the Alcoholic Anonymous meetings and get the relief from the disease.
Johnny Lever was at his usual best. He gave glory to Jesus Christ for helping him to quit drinking. Saying that Goa is a unique state blessed with honest people, Lever conveyed a message to the people against alcohol and its ill-effects on the society.
His holiness Shri Brameshanand Swamy, Tapobhoomi, Kundain lauded the organizers for organizing the public awareness meeting in Goa and stressed on the need to take the message against alcohol to the nook and corners of the state, country and across the world.
He complimented the organizers for the awareness meeting in the city, the Swamy called for united efforts to save the society from the disease of alcohol drinking.
The Managing Trustee and Archdiocesan Consultant, Archdiocese of Bombay, Fr Joe Pereira told the media at the venue that the Alcoholic Anonymous spreads a simple message that when alcoholics come together they get empowered on the principle of mutual vulnerability. “When we struggle and cannot cope with the disease, when some conditions are insurmountable, the methodology of AA comes as a unique spiritual method of renewal”, Fr Pereira said. He said the AA has an agenda to reach to the villages of the country to save the people from alcohol.
Saying that Goa is a beautiful land that has been unfortunately associated with liquor, Fr Pereira said that some people have misused the land because of the illegal spread of bars and homes manufacturing liquor.
“This land of relaxation and peace is being misused by alcohol and drugs”, he added.
