Demand to ban liquor grows in Rajasthan

Will Rajasthan go dry once again after four decades While the BJP government in the state is not very enthusiastic about the idea, the civil society has stepped up pressure and appears quite confident as protest against liquor is on the rise across the country.

The Congress government in Kerala had imposed ban on liquor a few months ago. Bihar too is set to go dry from next year as chief minister Nitish Kumar fulfilled his promise to women voters in the recently-concluded Assembly election. In Punjab too liquor and drugs are expected to be a major issue in the upcoming Assembly election.

In Rajasthan, former MLA Gurusharan Chabra has already lost his life for the cause. He died earlier this month after 31 days of fast. He had sat on a long fast when the Congress had its government. After his death, now his daughter-in-law has begun fasting. She has been forcefully taken to hospital by the police but her condition is said to be serious.

However, so far the BJP government is in no mood to concede the demand. “We cannot ban liquor, sambhav nahi hai,” health minister Rajendra Singh Rathore said. Apart from loss of Rs 6,000 crore to the exchequer, the minister considers it impractical.

“The ban would give rise to liquor mafia. In 1981, the state had to roll back prohibition as it led to the emergence of mafia. Haryana, Karnataka and some other states had to roll back prohibition for the same reasons,” the minister said.

He has a point. Ever since neighbouring Gujarat imposed liquor ban, Rajasthan has become fiefdom of liquor mafia operating from and outside the state. Crime rate has shot up as kidnapping and murder has become the order of the day due to gang wars between liquor mafias who want to control the route of illegal liquor trade from Haryana to Gujarat via Rajasthan.

However, Gandhian leader and secretary of Rajasthan Lok Sangarsh Morcha Sawai Singh claims that prohibition on liquor will not only put a stop on the crime rate in the state, (but also help) save money. “The state government should do it if it is serious about the welfare of the people. Chabbraji’s sacrifice should not go in vain,” he said.