Drinkers beware! CADA-Govt on collision course
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: September 23, 2022 -

AFTER spearheading the anti-drug/liquor campaigns for the past many years, it is understandable that Coalition Against Drugs and Alcohol (CADA) has out-rightly disapproved the state cabinet's decision to legalise production and sale of liquor and demanded immediate shelving of the move to set up sale and service outlets at specific locations and facilities across the state.

Despite crackdowns by the Excise Department, police and civil society groups, the liquor business has been thriving irrespective of Manipur declared as a dry state since early 1990s as is evident from sale or use of liquor at hotels, eateries, restaurants and even in residential pockets in different parts of the state.

Other than the locally brewed liquor, which is easily available, IMFL are being sourced from several places, including canteens of central and state forces while transport operators bringing them hidden among essential items.

Cartoons of foreign-made liquor are also smuggled into Manipur from bordering states and from Myanmar via the Moreh border town or through other routes.

Apart from the imported ones, which are the favourite for the wealthier section of the society, there is tremendous demand for the locally brewed liquor subsequently making the indigenous liquor industry one of the sources of employment for many.

Interestingly, women are actively involved both in manufacture of local liquor and prohibiting consumption.

While illiteracy, deprivation of benefits of welfare schemes and poverty are some main reasons why the liquor business is thriving, failure to effectively enforce the prohibition law is also due to the fact that liquor brewing has been integral to culture, custom and tradition of some specific communities.

However, for the younger generation the preference is IMFL to country liquor.

The reason for this shift could be attributed to rising prosperity and exposure to drinking cultures prevalent in other parts of India and the world.

The rising demand for IMFL has led to an increase in its smuggling into Manipur.

Inability to end the liquor menace in-spite of passing the Manipur Liquor Prohibition Act, 1991, and increasing number of drinkers, consequently compelled the government to take the bold step of lifting the prohibition regardless of being fully aware that such a decision would evoke condemnations.

Till the recent cabinet decision, the sale of IMFLwas not legal in Manipur due to the strong opposition voiced by many civil society organisations, at the state and local levels.

Now that CADA has put the blame on the government's failure to uphold the Prohibition Act for the rise in number of liquor sale and consumption and categorically demanded the government to revoke the cabinet decision, it could be safely stated that there would be confrontations between the anti-drug/liquor campaigners and the government agencies.

As the sale of IMFL would be from the well-fortified campuses of security forces, CADA is unlikely to take the risk of storming the sale outlets to assert its presence.

As such there is strong possibility that fallout of the decision to lift the prohibition will be felt on the general consumers for CADA volunteers would be equally determined to demonstrate that it wouldn't allow legalisation of sale of liquor without a fight.