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 ‘Alcohol will be banned in Bihar from April 1 next year’, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced his first major decision after taking over the office for the fifth time as the Chief Minister of Bihar, adding that the bureaucrats are formulating policies and laws to ban liquor . By so declaring he seems to have fulfilled his first promise made to the electorate when a group of angry women had barged in at an event to protest against the alcoholism problem in rural areas, last July. "In 1977-78 we tried to impose prohibition but it was not effective. But I feel women are suffering more than others. I have instructed my officials to start working towards this and implement this from the next financial year," Mr Kumar reportedly said at a function.
It is not clear whether the ban will be restricted to country liquor or will include all alcoholic products. Prohibition has been in place in Gujarat since 1960 and also in Nagaland, Manipur and Lakshwadeep. Last year, the Congress-led government in Kerala announced that it will be totally alcohol-free within 10 years. Hundreds of bars were forced to shut down across the state, and alcohol is now served only in five-star hotels. After protests and a decision by the High Court, bars were later allowed to sell beer and wine as well.
Ironically, it was under Kumar that the number of liquor vends had seen a remarkable jump from 3,436 in 2006-07 to 5,467 in 2012-13. The state's excise revenue also shot up to Rs 27.65 billion in 2012-13 from Rs 5,25 billion in 2007-08. This accounts for 17.65 per cent of the state's revenue, according to a report.
The Bihar government earned Rs. 30-35 billion last year through taxes on the sale of alcohol. It is not clear how the government plans to make up for this loss of revenue. Interestingly, the Constitution gives the States power to formulate their own alcohol policies and they normally increase taxes whenever they need more revenues but when the official channel dries up, they can go begging the center to make good the revenue loss due to prohibition.
The loss of revenues does not mean that prohibition will make people stop drinking. It would simply mean that the bootleggers will thrive’ like in Gujarat where liquor flows freely despite the ban and truckloads of smuggled liquor move freely allegedly under the police protection. The Illicit liquor business will increase-unfortunately resulting in deaths due to the hooch-as has been the case wherever such country liquor is sold.
One cannot fault the Chief Minister for using his heart rather than the brain for taking this decision. Besides the fact that he is simply fulfilling a promise made to certain section of women voters who are genuinely hurt by the men folk turning alcoholics and at times burning the whole wages on the dreaded addiction, he is also following the Directive of Principles of the Constitution. But practically speaking, in a democratic set up it is not possible to control the sale or production of illicit liquor. What is required is the education and de-addiction facilities. If the women feel they will stop their husbands from drinking after prohibition, they are mistaken. Kicking the habit completely or staying within limits, is the only key to the solution-women handling the finances, is another solution easier said than done.
The CM has appreciated the anti-liquor campaign launched by women and has also said the government will award those villages which will help it in its drive against liquor-so there is some hope for women. Alcoholism is a real menace and a successful prohibition might help check physical abuse and mental torture of women as several men turn violent after getting drunk. The pro-prohibitionists claim that the law and order situation will also improve as many crimes take place after men get drunk.
But the ground reality is that prohibition is likely to turn into a sham by helping the liquor mafia to become all-powerful and control the distribution while State is deprived of the taxes- an unfortunate reality. In a State where the illegal firearm industry flourishes, it is not going to be easy for the government to check the growth of cottage hooch industry which flourishes not only in Bollywood movies but is a reality in villages. It will only help increase the income of low level police and administrative officials.
The Chief Minister should also start facing the number of deaths that are likely to occur, as they usually do when illicit hooch is made. No one dies instantly after consuming licensed liquor, though excess alcohol is a known enemy for liver and causes cancer but lives are regularly lost by consuming hooch. Even blindness is very common for the few who survive the consumption of such lots.
As the Prime Minister Narendra Modi surely remembers, when he was the Gujarat chief minister, he had demanded a compensation package of Rs 30 billion from the Centre for continuing with prohibition in the State in 2009. He might perhaps be even more understanding about Bihar where State might otherwise miss out on the developmental and welfare programmes due to paucity of funds.
So far as wine is concerned, it should not make much change in the immediate future as wine has not really taken off in the State. In any case, since the effort seems to be to pacify the women in the rural areas, it is not likely that the whole State will go totally dry in the first instance. Only time will tell but one hopes the CM works with his brain as well and at least keeps wine and beer out of the prohibition purview and follows the Kerala model.
Subhash Arora |