Skip to main content

Bihar Liquor Ban - The Political Perspective


Whether you call it Nitish Kumar's masterstroke for gaining publicity and support of people or a responsible chief minister batting for people's interests, on the face of it, it is great that Bihar is free from alcohol abuse.
The Bihar excise (amendment) act, 2016 – a very old 1915 act has been converted into a very stringent law – is haunting the alcohol gang of Bihar. This law banned manufacturing, selling or consumption of liquors (strong or mild) and even prescribes the death penalty for the manufacturer, suppliers and sellers of hooch in case of death as a result of consumption of spurious liquors. Although Biharis can drink outside state boundary, they'll be punished if they create nuisance after returning home.

The government had actually proposed to ban only 'desi' liquors. The sale of non-country or ‘Indian Made Foreign Liquor’ (IMFL) was allowed, although, with some caveats. However, within five days, the government extended the ban to IMFL as well, making Bihar an absolutely alcohol-free state.

By taking this step, Nitish has taken a U-turn and rectified his earlier strategy. Yes, it was Nitish Kumar who allowed the liquor business to flourish in Bihar especially to the villages and semi-urban areas in order to increase revenues.  If we keep economy under consideration, without moral obligations, we'll find that Mr Kumar has made a big mistake. After all, Rs 4,000 crore, revenue is a major source of fund for a cash-starved government.

In the Bihar assembly election, 2015, Nitish Kumar had promised the caste-neutral constituency of women to ban liquors if he returned to power due to their persistent demand for it. The women voters were quite excited to about this topic. And, days after becoming Chief Minister again, Mr Kumar kept his promise with an announcement to Ban liquors showing once again that he is a "man of words".

The Government of India is running several campaigns to restrict the consumption of alcohol and other addictive substances. The government also levy a high tax on these items so that lack of money can be a reason for giving up this addiction. But, addiction is a very severe psychological disease. For a serious drunkard, alcohol is a matter of "life or death". Lack of money cannot diminish his cravings for alcohol.

By taking away alcohol from a hard-core alcoholic, it is like taking away his life. As addiction is not just a habit but a disease, therefore an alcohol addict need a proper medical care and psychological support to get out of this euphoria.

Other states should take the cue from Bihar and follow this model as soon as possible. Liquor was one of the primary sources for generating revenue. If cash deprived Bihar government can bear the monetary loss for a good social change, other states cannot make any excuse.

Also Read: Bihar Liquor Ban - Alcoholism and Society

Labels:

Comments

  1. Unknown1 June 2016 at 08:12

    I hope that doesnt lead to increased smuggling of liquor though!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Prasant3 June 2016 at 05:53

    It’s easier to get alcohol than food in Gujarat, with home-delivered bottles often a phone call away, thanks to small local suppliers, the Hindu reported last year. Do a simple search and you get the answer - http://www.livemint.com/Politics/PminUIJiL3vo0x8K45mgfM/How-Indian-states-have-fared-in-banning-alcohol.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amitesh Gupta3 June 2016 at 11:11

      Prasant, you are exaggerating things here. At least, we have a law that is empowering common people (the non-alcoholics) and curb the open sale of liquors!

      Delete
  3. Vinay Nagaraju3 June 2016 at 18:42

    Going the Gujarat way? This is interesting though. Shame that politics usually has such a large role to play in any of the decisions. I share the same fears as leena on this one though, the rise of smuggled and dangerous adulterated liquor

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Importance Of Toilets - World Toilet Day Special

A healthy living environment depends on adequate sanitation. Having and using toilets is the first step towards it. In this digital age, still, 2.4 billion people are devoid of using this basic necessity. People have to defecate in the open which is a very immense problem both for the human dignity and the environment. From this practice, inequalities between different social groups are starkly evident. Without sanitation systems, human waste enters groundwater and surface water that allows the growth of certain disease-causing bacteria and worms. Faeces deposited through open defecation contaminate the land. Children playing with the infected mud end up taking that into their mouth that can give rise to diarrhoea and other diseases. Diarrhoea is, in fact, the second leading cause of deaths in children under age 5 in developing countries, primarily due to poor hygiene and sanitation. While there is an importance of toilet for everyone but women and girls need it the most. It is a ...
Post a Comment
Read more

INTERVIEW OF NARENDRA MODI'S SON - EXCLUSIVE

Narendra Modi Son Gautam Modi broke his Silence here is the excerpts of what he said to a reporter...   Reporter: where were you hidden during the 2014 general election? Gautam: I was at my home enjoying speech delivered by Papa.All TV channels were broadcasting Papa's speech and also it is great fun when papa addresses to the people as " Bhaiyon aur Behno " Reporter:  Are you Interested in politics?What do you think politics is? Gautam: Due to political background, I have been involved in Politics intentionally or unintentionally. And I think politics is not a profession of self interest, also mentioned by daddy,but it is a social service with huge responsibilities. Reporter: it is absurd to ask you who is your inspiration and role-model? Gautam: No,it is not absurd because there have been many great personalities in our Country and frankly,Papa's achievement is very little in front of them.But my Inspiration and role-model is Of course my Daddy. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

JNU - A Vision of Modern Democratic India

Through the ongoing controversy what we need to understand is that ours is a young nation still in the making which has all the ingredients to become truly a great nation, but it needs time. Give this nation that time, that gestation period and it will show the world the true meaning of greatness, one which is home to a complete spectrum of diverse culture but still thrives together with immeasurable amount of tolerance which has never been experienced anywhere else (this holds for the common citizens of India but unfortunately not for the practitioners of divisive vote-bank politics which they don’t find anti-national). Every powerful nation that exists today has gone through some sort of civil war which led to enormous violence and bloodshed. We too have our share of challenges; be it the Kashmir issue, Nagaland or Naxalism; but we have the opportunity to show the world that we can do it in a better way without any bloodshed. It is that unity in diversity that is the soul of ...
3 comments
Read more

Turn Your Good Mornings Into Gold Mornings!

E very morning brings sunshine along with unbounded positive energy that inspires us to live life to the fullest. That is why when we wake up from the bed, we find ourselves most relax during the morning. We don't find the pleasant sound of birds chirping, relaxing weather and the aesthetic sunrise any moment of the day other than morning. If there is a lot of stress in our life, there is also enough beauty of life to inspire us. One should be ready to face both faces of life and should not complain about stressful life. A new day also brings new promises or the opportunity to keep yesterday's promise. For example, you promise yourself that "Today I shall submit the assignment" or you promised your kids yesterday that "you will take a leave and go for a vacation". Now, this can be possible only if you are in a good mood. And if your kids demand you to take them out for vacation but you are reserved that day, you cannot just shout at them, you must learn t...
2 comments
Read more

Who Deserves Subsidy?

The BJD MP Baijayant 'Jay' Panda did what BJP MPs should have done. It appears as a double standard of PM Modi that he appeal to the Nation to give up their LPG gas subsidy but his own MPs enjoy food subsidy in the Parliament canteen like "the Mutton Biriyani" at just Rs 20. A total of Rs 60 Crore is given to the Parliament canteen which Jay Panda proposes to be withdrawn which is a very responsible move by him in spite of sitting in the opposition. The question is not whether MPs deserve a subsidized meal or not. They are using various other subsidies besides the food in the Parliament. The question is how can the government appeal to the people to say no to their LPG subsidy when their MPs uses such bizarre and unnecessary subsidy and privileges? The British have left but their relics of colonial-mindset still remain in the country. The read beacons for the "Netas" and "Babus" make them feel like they are kings and that is why they forget that...
Post a Comment
Read more

Why Religion Should Not Be Downplayed

When you were a child and your parents told you stories about god, you listened to that with great curiosity and excitement, but as you grow older and started seeing everything with the rational eye of science, you realise that it was a lie, and so every religious event and ritual appears to you as an act of stupidity. Still, you keep worshipping the men or women whom you were told to worship as Gods. Why? Have you considered what is the significance of religion? Religion teaches us that God has created this universe and he is running it in his own way. The Sun, The Moon, Stars, Planets, Living creatures  — bacteria, viruses, plants, animals, humans are all the creation of God. We are just doing things ordained by him. It may appear that we are influencing things, but the reality is we, ourselves, are influenced by some heavenly forces. Indians, especially Hindus, are obsessed with rituals and other religious activities like holding fast and going to temple. Some of ...
9 comments
Read more

Kolkata - Drive, Design and Connect

I went to Kolkata with my friends in holidays. We went there via railways, I still remember the great journey from New Delhi to Howrah through Rajdhani Express. We were three friends who agreed to visit Kolkata after a fierce debate. We want to travel to a city we have never been to. But this doesn't mean us to go to a lonely island. We preferred the city that must be well connected with the rest other parts of India and with good roads to drive on because we didn't want our body to be shaken by jerky roads while travelling the city. Kolkata was an ideal choice for us to enjoy our holidays. While reaching the Howrah junction, first we kept noticing the size of the station, the number of platforms and the number of people. I at once said this is too big! All my friends agreed. We also noticed the design and cleanliness of Howrah Junction. It is very much common to the Grand Central station of New York. While we were enjoying the beauty of Howrah junction, one of my friend br...
Post a Comment
Read more