Kerala government has recently announced prohibition of alcohol in the state in a phased manner.
It appears that the pseudo-Gandhians in the ruling government have not taken into account the consequences of this ban. Apparently it goes without saying that this unprecedented policy in Kerala is brought in to appease certain communities in the state and to keep the coalition government from falling apart. The motive for this drastic decision appears to be political rather than ideological.
Granted, alcohol abuse is a menace in the society. As Kerala reels under alcoholism, domestic violence is on the rise and families are being torn apart. Bread winner’s hard earned money instead of being spent on worth while purposes is being immersed in liquor.
Is a total ban the solution? Perhaps not.
Tipplers are of 3 types. Those who enjoy an occasional drink to keep their spirits high after a long day of toil, those who drink on social occasions and the third category being the alcohol addicts. The ban is obviously targeted at this third category.
Total prohibition has not been really successful in states such as Gujarat. Alcohol is smuggled into Gujarat from its neighboring states -– Rajasthan to the north, Madhya Pradesh to the east, and Maharashtra to the south, and also from the small union territories of Daman, located in south Gujarat near Surat, and Diu, an island that lies off the Kathiawad peninsula.
Total prohibition mean ushering in a new underground industry – bootlegging – and a new source of income for the players in the establishment – enforcers, their political superintendents from it. Losses to the exchequer would mean gains to the private pockets.
Andhra Pradesh tried Prohibition between 1958 and 1969 and again from 1994 to 1997, but abandoned because of leakages and flows from across its borders.
Haryana’s flirtation with a dry policy lasted only two years from 1996 and was abandoned on grounds of loss of jobs in the liquor industry. Tamil Nadu’s affair with dry laws in place since 1952 lasted two decades. The later revenue gains by these states indicate the infatuation with liquor as a resource.
Kerala has always enjoyed the dubious distinction of being the highest per capita consumer of alcohol in the country. The state monopoly over liquor sale became the prime reason for the popularity of bars. Besides losing crores of rupees to the exchequer by the sale of liquor, the decision to ban liquor will have adverse effect on tourism although the primary reason to visit Kerala is not to drink.
Prohibition as a policy is high-minded idiocy. It promotes organised crime, illicit, unsafe hooch and corruption of the police. Having learnt this lesson, prohibition was withdrawn in the US in early 20th century.
With such short sighted view of our political leaders, let us welcome the era of spurious liquor to Kerala and let the Gujaratis (where total liquor ban is in place) show us the way to bootleg.
At this juncture it will be more suitable to call the UDF , “United Retarded front” instead of United Democratic Front.
The enlightened people of Kerala should rise up against the government's hypocrisy and demand a rational liquor policy that both encourages moderation and respects individual liberties. To drink or not should be a personal choice, provided it entails no public disorder.
Disclaimer: The author does not advocate consumption of alcohol but merely expressing the democratic right of individuals in a democratic country.
