The United Nations Commission for Narcotic Drugs has now decided to remove cannabis, marijuana, weed, ganja from the list of dangerous narcotics and India has voted in favour of the decision in the UNO. It is astounding.
In Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, production, plantation, consumption, and procurement are so far banned in India.
These are cognisable offences as per provisions of this act which can put one in jail for maximum 20 years.
Recently, there have been made high profile arrests of some Bollywood actors and actresses on the charge of consuming and possessing even a few grams of ganja.
Now, India's vote in the UN favouring ganja to be reclassified from illegal to legal has raised eyebrows. There is speculation that ganja related activities may be decriminalised in India soon.
Of course, for the last several years, there have been demands to legalise cannabis in India. Some think tanks in justifying their demands give the grounds that the level of intoxication consuming ganja is not so high and dangerous; its consumption reduces pain and stress. They say it has its use in medicines and hence, ganja production will be highly profitable to our farmers
In many Western countries including the USA cannabis has been legalised and ganja and bhang consumption is also associated with our culture. In festivals like Holi and folklore of our Lord Shiv, it is used, they claim.
And therefore, if India amends the NDPS Act reclassifying ganja as non-dangerous drug as per the decision in UN now, many believe, it will adversely impact both our rural and urban lives. It will be really worrisome
The Indian Constitution prescribes for a drug free and liquor free India. According to Article 47 in the Directive Principles of State Policy of the Constitution of India,' the State shall endeavour to bring about prohibition of the consumption except for medicinal purposes of intoxicating drinks and of drugs which are injurious to health'. In 1977 when Morarjee Desai became the Prime Minister in the Janata Party Goverment, he desired for liquor free India. But reportedly he felt hurt when his plan of total prohibition was not accepted by his own Cabinet colleagues as they feared about revenue loss.
They apprehended that revenue loss due to prohibition would impair the developmental work. But for a Gandhian like Morajee Bhai, prohibition was not an economic issue; it was an issue of social purification and ethical upliftment.
Almost four decades after, the Nitish Kumar Government in Bihar has set an example by declaring Bihar as a dry State with imposition of total prohibition in addition to Gujarat which has been declared dry earlier.
In Odisha for over the last several years, there have been strong anti-liquor campaigns. The Nisha Nibaran Abhijan is here in full swing. A centenarian freedom fighter , Padma Charan Nayak appeals for a Nisha Mukt Odisha and calls for a ban of sale of liquor, the consumption of which hurts personal growth and causes unnecessary conflicts. But it is of no avail so far.
Infact, there has been an anti-liquor law duly passed in 1956 by Naba Krushna Choudhuri, the Gandhian leader and former Chief Minister of Odisha. But the subsequent Governments have failed to enforce it. Fear of revenue loss looms large in them.
A question is repeatedly asked why Odisha needs a functional anti liquor law banning the sale and production of liquor. It needs because free sale of alcohol has created havoc in villages, mainly in adivasi and slum areas.
Women are the worst sufferers. They see their near and dear ones die due to alcoholism. There is not a single woman who would not like to banish alcohol. It is the prime cause of domestic miseries, poverty, ruined health and physique. Besides, consumption of spurious liquor results in a series of deaths in several villages in Odisha. Hooch deaths also occur in different States.
In May 1992, liquor deaths in a serious scale took place in Cuttack. More than 200 people died after drinking illegally brewed poisonous liquor. As many as 600 people were hospitalised. Many of them became permanently blind. It was one of the biggest tragedies of its kind in India
Women organisations in Odisha then fought for a total ban on sale and manufacture of liquor. The then Government headed by Biju Patnaik in 1994 imposed a ban on liquor selling. But the subsequent Congress Government lifted the ban stating that liquor ban was causing huge loss in revenue. The deaths due to liquor poisoning still remain unchecked in Odisha .The victims are mainly poor people. Most of them consume locally brewed alcohol laced with urea for a better kick.
Over a time this proves lethal for them, with belly and hands swollen, awaiting for death. It is not due to any mysterious disease. It is instead, due to excessive alcohol consumption and alcoholism.
In fact, sale of liquor gives more money to the Government of Odisha. The State's excise revenue has increased by about 24 times in last 20 years to the tune of approximately Rs 4,000 crore since the year 2000 when it was Rs 135 crore only. The Government, therefore, opens the outlets to sell the liquor and has created Beverage Corporation to regulate it.
But the anti-liquor campaigners question that Government never calculates the cost of human miseries and accidental deaths, besides that of domestic violence, rapes, social indignity and ethical and moral degeneration caused by the alcohol drinks. The revenue loss could be managed through other channels.
When the Bombay Provincial Government in 1939 declared total prohibition in Bombay, Gandhiji on March 26, 1939 wrote a letter to the Bombay Government giving thanks - 'Handsome is that handsome does.
Bombay will be looking beautiful not for sea beach alone. Bombay will , henceforth be beautiful for liquor and drug free slums with happy human faces. And campaign for prohibition is not one time event. It is a continuous one’
(A Gandhian author and columnist, lawyer, Puri, Mob: 9861469328)