Odisha has been witnessing an unprecedented surge in people’s movement against liquor in many parts of the State, especially among women of the marginalised sections in rural parts. The movement demands complete ban on sale and consumption of liquor by the Government.
The ordinary women from their own every day experiences are narrating their problems and how liquor consumption has impacted their socio-economic life and pauperized many households. Consumption of alcohol has been identified as one of the major causes of poverty and violence in social life, especially against women and children. It has been contributing to loss of quality of life, working hour, ill health and influencing the decision making process in many ways in the matter of public importance.
An economically backward State like Odisha having large presence of illiterate and poor is very much prone to alcoholism. The State has witnessed death of innocent poor due to consumption of poisonous alcohol supplied by liquor traders having strong nexus with bureaucrats and ruling party politicians. There were more than 200 people who died and many were hospitalized by consumption of poisonous liquor at Cuttack in 1992 and later about 29 people died in February 2013. The victims were poor people mostly belonging to the marginalized sections.
There has been reports of accidents, social disturbances and law and order problem in liquor shops opened near schools, hospitals, bus stops, temples, mosques and other such public institutions by disobeying even court orders and limited execution of law by the administration.
Anti-liquor movement activists, women groups and other concerned are protesting the inaction of the Government. There are violence and repression in many forms against anti-liquor activists, such as Dileswar Dandasena of Sundergarh and Dalit women in Namatara village of Kendrapada district whereas many others remain invisible and go unreported by both liquor mafia and local administration. But in spite of difficulties, more and more people are getting involved and supporting anti-liquor movement. The campaign has been supported by progressive politicians, freedom fighters, left wing intellectuals, Gandhians, Sarvodaya workers, voluntary agencies, academics and common citizens. They have called for total ban of liquor in the State. There is also instance of move by ruling party MlA through a private bill for ban on liquor in the State.
The Odisha United Anti-liquor Movement has been spearheading the struggle throughout the State. It has been getting support from women in tribal areas such as Kandhamal. Tribal organization like Indigenous People’s Forum has been demanding complete ban on foreign liquor and any kind of liquor business in scheduled areas and full implementation of PESA.
The Constitution of India in Article 47 says every State shall endeavor to bring about prohibition of consumption of intoxicating drinks and drugs which are injurious to health except for medical purpose. There are Government declared dry days on the occasion of national importance such as Independence Day, Republic Day, Gandhi Jayanti and during voting and counting days of elections. The World Health Organization report says around 30 per cent of the total population of India consumed alcohol, spirits and the per capital consumption of alcohol has increased from 1.6 to 2.2 liters in a decade which is one of the fastest increases in the world in 2012. Social scientists and medical experts say alcoholism has been a serious problem with major impact on social environment and human health. It is closely linked to domestic violence, crime, suicide and loss of social peace.
With a continued social tradition of prohibition, the movement against liquor has been an all India phenomena with example of dry States such as Gujarat, Kerala, Nagaland and lakshadweep. Bihar is in the process to ban alcohol starting from April 2016. The Government of Kerala with support of almost all other political parties in the State has decided to close the Kerala State Beverage Corporation with a ten per cent cut in every year with its limited use in five star hotels and for NRIs and foreigners. There are State legislations such as The Nagaland liquor Total Prohibition Act 1989 which speak for total prohibition.
States such as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, UP and Haryana have witnessed huge movements in recent times against liquor. AP, Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Mizoram have repealed prohibition with the plea of leakages from the neighbouring States and increase in illegal trade within the State.
Odisha has about 4,000 excise shops which include off shops, on shops, beer parlors, military canteens, clubs, country spirit, Bhanga, Tari, and panchwai shops. The excise revenue of last ten years has registered a growth from Rs 256 crore in 2003 to Rs 1,380 crore in 2011-2012 and Rs 2,038.79 crore in 2014-2015. The State has monopoly over wholesale trade of liquor through the Odisha State Beverages Corporation.
In the State excise policy, the Collectors have power to grant licences and consider and recommend the change of location of shops. It is also said that the location of the liquor shops should be shifted to 50 meter away from the State and National Highways and no shops shall be allowed on Government land. Besides, there is prohibition in employment of women and children to encourage sale of liquor.
The excise policy granted concession in tribal areas to brew liquor for personal consumption and not for sale. In the PESA Act 1996, the Gram Sabha gives power to enforce prohibition or to regulate or restrict the sale and consumption of any intoxicants in scheduled areas. It is important to regulate the liquor trade in tribal area for the development of the tribals. It has been observed that land alienation and money lending have been directly linked to liquor consumption. It is a fact that during elections the party candidates use free liquor distribution to attract the voters in their support. There are reports of crime, domestic violence, separation in family and diseases linked to flow of liquor and its unrestricted consumption. Sometimes liquor consumption is being promoted in the name of culture and traditional food practices and hugely used in festivals and functions as an inseparable item. It has been very often told by development workers in tribal areas that without controlling liquor consumption, no development will sustain among the marginalized sections. Many of them routinely run anti-liquor movement as most complimentary programme to other development works such as health, education, nutrition, employment and livelihood. The traditional exploiters in tribal areas have been
using liquor as most important means to spoil the body and mind of the illiterate poor to make them deprived of resources and possessions and use them bonded labour for generations.
It is unfortunate to note that while the State Government has been linking the recent farmer suicide with domestic violence and liquor, and trying to establish a close link of distressed farmers, there has been to attempt to prohibit liquor consumption and its availability in rural areas.
Former Chief Minister Nabakrushan Choudhury had enacted the Odisha Prohibition Act 1956 to prohibit manufacturing, sale and consumption of intoxicating liquors and drugs in Odisha but it has not been enforced. In a recent reply to a question in Assembly, the State Excise Minister rejected the idea of total prohibition on the ground that it will encourage illegal trade of poisonous liquor which may lead to hooch tragedies.
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