R.K. Visworjit trains a student in weightlifting at his gym. Telegraph picture

Imphal, June 16: Moirangthem Nanda Singh is a happy man today. Once a drug user, this youth in his early twenties from Imphal West is a reformed person who helps his parents eke out a living by running a cell phone handset repairing shop in Imphal city.

Nanda (not real name) thanked R.K. Visworjit, the owner and instructor of Animal Gym, for helping him kick the habit and begin a new chapter in his life.

Nanda was one of several drug addicts to come for help to Animal Gym, a fitness hub located at Khoyathong in Imphal city which is helping youths not only to build a good physique but also making them responsible citizens.

Visworjit, a student of Maipak Sharma, Mr India of 1970, registered his gym in 2005 with the objective of giving youths a healthy life for a healthy and progressive society. He himself won the Best Physique title in the inter-college body-building competition above 80kg during his college days.

“Producing title-winning bodies is not the sole aim of my gym. I want all the youths of the state to possess a healthy mind in a healthy body. If the body is healthy so is the mind. Body-building is not only a sport. It also changes lifestyles,” Visworjit told this correspondent.

R. Manisana, a government employee, is grateful to the gym owner for changing the lifestyle of his son. “My son used to take drugs from his schooldays. I had almost given up hope of bringing back my son to normal life until I met Visworjit. He trained my son, who has now completely given up the habit. Only parents who have a drug-user son know the pain. Brother Vishworjit gave my son a new life,” the father said.

Today, nearly 300 youths are attending the gym in shifts, which begin at 5am in the morning and end at 9pm. But the status of the youths is a closely guarded secret. “I do not want to publicise my status,” one of the youths said.

The owner-instructor also did not keep records of such youths. “What is important is their future,” he said.

Vishorjit has studied religious books like the Bhagawad Gita and Buddhist teachings. He explains the essence of these to his students with the aim of making them good individuals.

Elaborating, Vishorjit said Manipuri youths are vulnerable to drugs as the state is located on the route of international drug trafficking. “My effort was to contribute something in the fight against drugs.”

“As long as there is demand there will always be the supply, whatever the be the cost of the drug,” he said.

There are also youths who want to build their bodies for body-building competitions. For instance, Herojit Konsam, 22, of Imphal city attends the gym regularly. He took part in a district-level body-building competition this year and finished fourth. “I want to win a title,” Herojit said.

Some of the students of this gym are now instructors in cities like Delhi and Bangalore.

Animal Gym is unique in that it also manufactures gym equipment made by its ironsmiths. “I sell the equipment at cheaper rates. I want every house to own a health fitness equipment,” Vishorjit said.

There is a philosophy behind naming the fitness hub Animal Gym. Its owner said he used the word “animal” to remind all those coming here that “man is also an animal and the need to keep under control its animal instinct for maintaining peace and harmony.”

Another reason, he said, was to remind that all animals including human beings are the children of same creator and therefore the need for peaceful co-existence among the animals. And to lead by example, Vishorjit is a vegetarian.