An interview-based reflection with Mr. Suneel Vatsyayan, Chairperson, Nada India Foundation
What motivated you to start your own organisation to undertake independent practice?
“My brother Pradeep Dutt has been a constant guide and mentor in shaping my personal to professional journey,” begins Mr. Suneel Vatsyayan, recounting the early influence that planted the seeds of independent practice in social work. “He gave me firsthand experience as publisher of a Hindi literary magazine Kaamda. Being the youngest sibling of five and having lost our father early, my brother gave me a free hand to explore, fail, and learn.”
These early explorations, nurtured by creative freedom, later evolved into an understanding of how social work must be practiced—not in isolation within academic walls, but as a living, breathing discipline connected deeply with people.
“My brother believed—and I agreed—that social work should be an independent branch of social science where academics and practice are not two distant domains. Faculty must become real-time experiential mentors, as envisioned in the National Education Policy 2020.”
A Turning Point in Yamuna Pushta: Learning by Doing
During his education, a conversation with his guru, the late Prof. H.Y. Siddiqui, became a philosophical anchor in his journey. “He gave me an analogy of how people drink water from a well,” Suneel recalls. “Do you wait for someone to give it to you? Do you jump in and drink it yourself? Or do you let others decide? I chose to jump in—even with the risk of drowning. And eventually, I learnt to swim and even dug new wells to share the water with others.”
His willingness to “jump in” took a literal form when, as a young social worker, he invited Prof. Siddiqui to a school in Yamuna Pushta run by an ex-drug peddler. “It was on Teacher’s Day,” he smiles. “I offered him a coconut and a shawl, in the traditional guru-dakshina spirit. That blessing carried forward.”
The Birth of Navjyoti and a New Kind of Leadership
In January 1988, the journey took a transformative leap. “Dr. Kiran Bedi, then DCP of North Delhi, invited me to lead the newly formalized Delhi Police Foundation for Correction, De-Addiction, and Rehabilitation. This was my playground to turn academic learnings into real-time interventions.”
With a song by Harivansh Rai Bachchan in his heart—"Raah pakad le tu ek chala chal, pa jayega madhushala", Suneel laid the foundation of what came to be known as the “Navjyoti Police Clinic” network.
He introduced psycho-social and spiritual approaches to addiction recovery in eight police stations. His goal? “To make Navjyoti an institution of excellence. A place where the police were not just enforcers, but social workers with authority.”
The Power of Peer-Led Healing: From New York to India
Suneel’s association with Dr. Michael O. Smith, the founder of NADA (National Acupuncture Detoxification Association) USA, shaped his vision of peer-led healing. “Michael introduced me to the word nada—in Spanish, it means ‘nothing,’ and in Hindi, ‘primordial sound.’ He taught me that patients are smarter than therapists; students smarter than teachers. They change faster than our systems do. That’s where we need to shift—toward prevention and peer empowerment.”
This philosophy laid the groundwork for Nada India Foundation, an organisation committed to peer-led initiatives for health and wellness.
How did social work education influence your decision to start Nada India?
“My education gave me the theoretical base and tools, but more importantly, it made me believe that experience must inform education. I realised that addiction counselors who were once addicts themselves weren’t just beneficiaries—they were colleagues. They needed to be treated not as 'former patients' but as peer leaders.”
This philosophy shaped the ARPAN (Association of Recovering People Action Network) program under Nada India—where guru-shishya relationships became the heart of healing.
How did your education help you manage your organisation?
Courses in social work administration and governance helped Suneel draft bylaws and structure the organisation. His fieldwork in addiction recovery informed program design. Even small things—like recording counseling sessions for classroom analysis—became lifelong skills that helped him grow into a practicing social worker with an independent identity.
What challenges have you faced in building and managing Nada India?
“In India, social work is often equated with volunteerism,” he shares. “There’s very little enabling environment to practice it professionally, especially in addiction and mental health. Stigma was a big challenge.”
“But being independent gave me the flexibility to carve a niche in alcohol control and public health. Running an organisation voluntarily allowed me to help others creatively and on my terms.”
A Success Story Close to the Heart
Suneel recalls the recent passing of Suresh (name changed), who had once battled addiction. “He died of a cardiac arrest at 49, but had been drug-free for 24 years. Along with his friend Pawan, also a recovered addict, they led a peer-run center supported by Nada India.”
Both had earlier been treated at Navjyoti after multiple relapses. “Now they were helping others heal. That’s success. That’s legacy.”
What is the future of the development sector in India?
Suneel sees a more regulated and market-driven future: “It will require social workers with business sense and entrepreneurial skills. NGOs will act more as service providers under direct donor oversight, which might hurt volunteerism.”
To survive and thrive, “social work must evolve into a skilled-based profession within a market economy.”
Suggestions for Improving Social Work Education in India
“Bring practicing social workers into classrooms—as mentors, not just case studies,” he says. “Encourage social entrepreneurship. Use market need assessments to guide curriculum design.”
He emphasizes self-advocacy, field-based projects, and ethics-based training. “Let students see themselves as doers, not just observers.”
Your Message for Today’s Social Work Students
“Social work gives you a language and a unique window to understand society. Learn to dig your own well and drink fresh water.”
He adds, “Don’t be afraid to fail. College is the time to experiment. Helping others begins with knowing how to ask for help.”
And he closes with Lao Tzu’s timeless quote:
“Go to the people. Live with them. Learn from them. Love them. Start with what they know. Build with what they have. But with the best leaders, when the work is done, the task accomplished, the people will say: ‘We have done this ourselves."
“It worked for me,” says Suneel with a smile.
Blog compiled and curated by Nada India Foundation Media Team.
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