• Alcoholics Anonymous - Bangalore

History of AA in Bengaluru

Brief History of Alcoholics Anonymous, Bangalore

The History of the AA fellowship in Bangalore starts with the advent of (Col.) Trevor King, an army officer, who was then posted as principal, King George Military School. His Pioneering efforts in recovery and carrying the message began in the month of august, 1957 and lasted till the 1st of January 1987 when he passed away peacefully at St. Martha’s Hospital. His history is printed in the Big Book under the heading “Life Saving Words”.
In the early seventies, the fledgling fellowship was sustained by a handful of dedicated members who held 3 meetings a week at Ashirwad on St. Mark’s Road. Later on, when Ashirwad was under repairs, the serenity group meetings were shifted to St. Mark’s Cathedral and St. Anthony’s Friary. Attending these open meetings would also be non-alcoholic regulars like Fr. Ligonier from the Friday and others, who were friends of alcoholics anonymous. Meetings were also started at St. John’s Hospital and St. Martha’s Hospital in the late Eighties.
The first AA Bengaluru Intergroup was formed in 1992. Only after the formation of the Inter Group and its emergence of AA services did AA spread to all corners of Bangalore. As it grew in numbers & ample strength, with the help of dynamic newcomers and better integration with GSO, Bombay, meetings started in regional languages reaching out to every strata of society. Subsequently, in 1993 the Charter and Bye laws were drawn up and deliberated and discussed through 1994. It was finally ratified and adopted by the Intergroup in the year 1997. During the subsequent years the original document has served the valuable purpose of providing the Intergroup with the guidelines to follow. In its absence, the Intergroup could not have grown and become what it is today. But simultaneously it also revealed its many limitations and contradictions.
Therefore, in early 2005, AAIG Bangalore formed a committee comprising of the Class B Trustee, the present Delegates, the past Delegate and the General Secretary, with a mandate to review the existing Charter and Bye laws and to suggest to the fellowship the necessary changes. The amended draft copy was widely circulated and discussed among the member groups. Finally, on 15th August 2005, the general body of the Alcoholics Anonymous Fellowship of Bangalore ratified and adopted the Amended Charter and Bye laws, hereafter referred to as The Charter and Bye laws (Amended), 15 August 2005.
The Charter and Bye laws (Amended), 15 August 2005, did its best to address the present and future needs of the fellowship. AAIG Bengaluru, since 2006 has been geographically divided into two separate Inter- groups i.e., North and South, with the Mahatma Gandhi Road serving as the guiding geographical feature for demarcation. This division has taken place, so as to help the respective Inter-groups to grow within and outside of their geographical sphere and in accordance with AA Service Manual guidelines dealing with intergroup size for urban areas. Thus far, by common understanding, the Charter, Bye laws and Guidelines had remained the same for both the Inter-groups, and therefore was applicable to both the Inter-Groups.
Bangalore AA started its first office in a member’s house garage, Wilson Garden. Later it moved to a small office space opposite to Jayadeva hospital, Bannerghatta. Bangalore AA is grateful to Sri. Jyothy R. Mahalingam, Ex. Chairman of BBMP, Sri. Ramprasad, Ex. Additional Commissioner (Planning & development), Sri. Vasanth Rao, Deputy-Commissioner (Resources) and Dr. Mala Ramachandran in February 2007 for granting the office premises in Okalipuram. Since, BBMP had implemented Town planning demolition, BBMP shifted the office to the current premises just near the Bangalore cantonment railway Station in Vasanth Nagar.
In Dec 2011, the regional ‘B’ Class Trustee of KAC-1 of that period had proposed the adoption of the new service structure to both Inter-groups. He suggested that the fellowship needs to adopt a broader structure where the area is divided by Group Geographical Districts. After much deliberation, the two Inter-groups agreed for a joint fellowship meeting on March 11th, 2012, at St. Charles School, Kammanahalli to enable the Trustee to present the New Service Structure. After the complete presentation of the new structure the fellowship unanimously agreed to adopt the same and appointed a standing Committee comprising of the ‘B’ Class Trustee, the then Current Delegates and three rotated Delegates with the current General Secretary of AAIG – Bengaluru South to assist them, to frame the New Charter & Bye laws.
The Standing Committee had presented the Draft Charter & byelaws to the fellowship on May 6th, 2012 at Carmel Convent, Jayanagar. The Draft Charter & byelaws was comprehensively explained by the committee. It was then decided by the fellowship that the copy of the same would be taken to their respective groups for further deliberation and discussion with the group members and would subsequently meet once again with any clarifications/corrections that may be required. On 3rd June 2012 at Carmel Convent, Jayanagar the fellowship along with the standing committee met for the final time and after much deliberation and subsequent corrections this Charter & Byelaws was unanimously adopted.
Further during the year 2016 the fellowship felt there was a need to change the Service Manual with necessary amendments, additions / deletions for which a service manual committee was constituted with then current General Secretary, Public Information Chairman, 12 Step Chairman, and both the Delegates. The committee prepared the draft Service Manual and presented in the Night Vigil to the fellowship, the same was adopted by the Karnataka Area Committee and a new service manual was printed and published in the year 2016.
Bengaluru AA will ever remain deeply grateful to our Rotated Class ‘A’ Dr. S.T. Ramesh, D.G.P. & I.G.P. of Karnataka (Retd. IPS) for opening up all prison and Jails in the state, including central Jail at Bengaluru – for AA members to carry the AA message of hope and recovery. Additionally, He also served as Class ‘A’ Trustee from the year 2011 -2016 in General Service Board and Chairman of General Service Board for the year 2015 – 2016.
In August 2020, the fellowship decided to form a Trust in accordance to law of the land in adherence with the statutory compliance by Govt. of India. Upon on fellowship approval, the Trust was formed and came to existence in October 2020. The members of Area Committee expressed that since the existing service manual was not in accordance with the Trust. It was felt there was a need to update the manual incorporating the Trust deed and aligned with the Service Manual of A.A. India. The Service Manual Committee was formed with then current General Secretary, both delegates, 2 DCM’s, rotated delegate and both rotated ‘B’ Class Trustees. The Draft manual was submitted to Area Committee by end of November and presented to fellowship on 27th Feb ’22. Followed with Draft Service Manual presented in 14 districts. Finally, the Service Manual was passed in the Assembly meeting with the GSR’s on 24th April ’22 at Stracey’s memorial school subject to updation of few corrections and modifications.
On 13th November, AA KAC – 1 Bangalore celebrated its 58th year of anniversary and this Service Manual – 2022 has been presented to the fellowship on this occasion in English, Kannada and Tamil. The wide support and awareness contributed by all these groups and its members inspires immense hope for the future and the results are heart-warming.
The Karnataka Area Committee -1, Bangalore rendered yeomen service to the fellowship in spreading the message to the still suffering alcoholics and by the end of Nov. 2022 there were approximately 115 groups scattered in and around Bangalore, out of which groups like Anbillam, Ashirwad, BEL, Chetana, Freedom, Gift of Sobriety, Hope, Lotus, Navajeevana, Priya Kothnur, Sarvodaya, Seed of Hope, Serenity & Ullas have played a pioneering role in carrying the message to the still suffering alcoholics for over 20 years since its inception.