Published On : Fri, Oct 2nd, 2015

Encouraging the addicts to quit alcohol will ensure automatic ban on liquor

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Nagpur
: The office-bearers of Swamini Darubandi Abhiyan, Yavatmal and Astitva Sanghatana, Buldhana had addressed a press meet to inform the media of their endeavour to demand liquor ban in Yavatmal and Buldhana.

While addressing the media personnel, an office-bearer of Swamini Darubandi Abhiyan, Yavatmal Mahesh Pawar said that if the Chief Minister continues not to take cognizance of our Andolan for Alcohol Prohibition, we have to take alternate steps sooner rather than later.

Astitva Sanghatana leader Premlata Sonone said that they had marched towards the Chief Minister’s bungalow accompanied by a few volunteers, but were unable to submit their memorandum as the Chief Minister was not in town.

An intense movement demanding prohibition of alcohol in Yavatmal district has been ongoing for the last 6-9 months. Similarly a movement for declaring Buldhana a dry district has been in progress for the last 2 years. Despite this, neither the government, nor the administration has taken any cognizance of this public demand so far, was charged by hundreds of volunteers of Swamini Darubandi Abhiyan, Yavatmal and Astitva Sanghatana, Buldhana, forcing them to come to Nagpur to highlight the importance of this issue.

The state of Gujrat where Gandhi was born and the District of Wardha, where he lived for a significant part of his life has both been made alcohol free without any movement. However, the Government is unwilling to take any move to do so in Yavatmal or Buldhana despite such tremendous and visible public demand. Protesters asked, does the state government fail to realize the sordid state to which the familial, social, and economic condition has been reduced to in Yavatmal and Buldhana? Or are they choosing to ignore the situation deliberately?

Against this background, 51 young men from Yavatmal shaved off their heads last night and came to Nagpur today accompanied by hundreds of women from their districts to present their case to the Chief Minister dressed as Gandhi on Gandhi Jayanti. The impotence of those in power in terms of honoring Gandhi’s views with meaningful action instead of mere lip service compels these 51 Gandhis to lower their heads in shame.

Alcohol which grinds women’s dignity into dirt, which destroys whole families, and which turns numberless young people into directionless slaves is nevertheless permitted to be sold legally as well as illegally in every single village just to satisfy politicians’ hunger for Excise revenue. Why does the government continue to ignore the issue even when the constitution directs them to ban alcohol sale wherever there is a local demand for the same?

We are observing continuing increases in lawless behavior, criminal activity as well as accidents due to alcohol which promotes an irresponsible and criminal temperament. During the Andolan in Yavatmal, Police Patil Virendra Rathod was brutally murdered on 3rd July 2015 while returning from a public meeting in support of prohibition at village Karegaon-Yavali. To prevent the recurrence of such heinous incidents, hundreds of women and youth from Yavatmal and Buldhana have come out on the streets of Nagpur today.

Even if the Government, afraid that any diminishment of Excise revenue could endanger the state’s finances, shuts its eyes to all the other severe adverse effects of alcohol, the people will not sit on their heels anymore. Thus spoke Astitva Sanghatana’s President and Ahilyabai Awardee. Premata Sonone. Instead of working to fulfill the Prime Minister’s stated vision of progress, the Maharashtra Government’s actions amount to crushing that dream under the poisonous burden of alcohol. While the central government is fueled by ambitious slogans, the state government has shut off its ears to the public’s slogan of “Daru Hatao” (remove alcohol). This is extremely damaging to the state’s social health. The state government should put its thinking cap on and work to stop the legal and illegal sale of alcohol. Otherwise we will be forced to take decisive steps of our own to achieve this, said Swamini Darubandi Abhiyan convener Mahesh Pawar.

Prashant Ugle, Mahesh Pawar, Premlata, Yogesh Rathore, Prajakta Upadhyay and Sharayu Patil addressed the media.