Prohibition: rising call in Gujarat for ‘Bihar model’

In 1935, eminent Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan wrote: “Bair karate mandir-masjid, mel karati madhushala (temples and mosques create disharmony, but a tavern unites them all)”.

Nearly 80 years later, however, the Gujarat government’s ‘weak’ prohibition policy has united all the anti-BJP groups in Mahatma Gandhi’s home State. Their common demand is a stringent prohibition policy. And inspiring them is none other than Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The State government has, ever since the formation of the State in 1960, tried to enforce prohibition, and public crushing of “seized” wine bottles under bulldozers has been an annual ritual widely publicised by the media.

However, bootleggers run a booming business across Gujarat and hooch-related deaths in the State are not uncommon.

Some of the well-known names from the State are said to have begun their “careers” as bootleggers! Everyone who wants to have a drink or two knows how and from whom to obtain liquor and at what price.

Holidaying youngsters normally flock to neighbouring States such as Rajasthan, Maharashtra or Madhya Pradesh, or Daman, Diu or Silvassa to get their fill.

The Mahatma’s home State hosts no wine shop or bar, but there is a checkered list of nearly one lakh official “permit holders” that includes Gujarat’s who’ who.

They get their monthly quota of alcohol at subsidised rates on such grounds as health, their being non-Gujarati settlers, or background of returning after serving outside the State. Each year, they get a doctor’s “certificate” to renew their permit.

During Narendra Modi’s chief ministership, the State government had tried to relax some liquor norms to attract foreign tourists as well as businessmen — prohibition is seen as a major stumbling block in the promotion of tourism in Gujarat. But the efforts were in vain.

The prohibition policy has now turned into a sociopolitical issue like never before, particularly for the BJP, which seems lost on this count. Since July 2015, Gujarat has witnessed multiple social groups agitating on a number of platforms — the Patel agitation, protests by Dalits, etc. The liquor issue is adding to the party’s woes in the State, scheduled to hold Assembly elecitons next year.

Anti-BJP forces in the State are now drawing inspiration from Nitish Kumar, the bête noire of the BJP and Modi.

In fact, Alpesh Thakore, convener of the Kshatriya-Thakore Samaj and OBC-SC-ST Ekta Manch, has been organising big public meetings across the State over the past few months, administering oath to his supporters to shun liquor.

Addressing a massive gathering on November 6 in Gandhinagar, he demanded a Bihar-like strict anti-liquor law in Gujarat also.

His outfit, which had also tried to stop trains on October 2, plans to intensify its multi-pronged agitation from January 21, with awareness marches being planned across 112 Vidhan Sabha constituencies, out of a total 182. The Thakore Samaj has already put in place a policy of not marrying of members’ children into families having drunkards!

The massive, day-long anti-liquor public meeting held here on a Sunday has drawn wide attention. Patidar Andolan leader Hardik Patel, who is currently cooling his heels in Udaipur following a court order, sent a video message to support the agitation.

Dalit Morcha leader Jignesh Mewani, as well as leaders from SC/ST and minority organisations joined forces with Thakore, who said his community has been facing severe social problems due to lax implementation of the State’s prohibition policy.

The very presence of thousands of people at an eight-hour meeting apparently rattled the State government. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has promised better implement of the law.

Senior Cabinet minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasma has also promised to seek legal opinion and table a new prohibition Bill in the next Assembly session.

A ‘hangover’ headache indeed for the ruling party.

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