Liquor policy anti-thesis to WoD mission: CADA
Withdraw decision to lift prohibition on liquor: Nupi Marup to Govt
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, September 23 2022:
Raising objection against the government's decision to lift ban on sale and production of liquor, Coalition Against Drugs and Alcohol (CADA) said that the move will shackle the government's War on Drugs WoD) campaign.
CADA along with different Meira Paibi organisations on Friday staged sit-in protest at Keishampat Leimajam Leikai community hall against lifting of the prohibition on liquor by the government.
Speaking at the protest site, CADA secretary general Geetchandra Mangang cautioned that the protest was the first of many public movements to be launched against liquor legalisation.
Citing inability of the government to enforce Liquor Prohibition Act as an excuse to lift the ban is unwarranted, he said, while questioning if the government would be legalising everything it could not effectively ban or prohibit.
He also alleged that the government took the decision without inviting public comments, especially from the civil society organisations which are actively involved in enforcing the prohibition for a better society.
Geetchandra further said that legalisation of liquor will have a direct impact on the success of the government's own War on Drugs campaign as the government's stand contradicts between the two issues.
Even if the government has no other means to increase the state's financial resources, it should make an open declaration so that the public could lend support in finding alternative means for financial resources, he said.
The secretary also demanded the government to bring out a whitepaper on lifting ban on liquor so that it could be brought to the public domain for open discussion and suggestions.
Demanding the government to withdraw its decision, he said that CADA will organise a series of democratic protests.
Later, the protestors tried to take out a march up to the CM's bungalow to register their protest.
However, police stopped them at Keishampat Junction traffic point.
Meanwhile, strongly condemning recent decision of the state cabinet to legalise sale and consumption of liquor, All Manipur Nupi Marup has demanded withdrawal of the Cabinet decision at once and ridiculed that the government has decided to forgo the prohibition due to failure to effectively enforce Manipur Liquor Prohibition Act, 1991.In a statement, Nupi Marup secretary L Sumatibala contended that increase in the number of liquor vendors in the state despite being a dry state is because of low manpower and machineries of the Excise Department, which is the primary enforcing agency of The Manipur Liquor Prohibition Act, 1991.Despite knowing the harmful effects of liquor, the youth particularly from poor families are indulging in abuse of such substances due to unemployment and corruption among other factors, she maintained, while adding that increase in consumption of liquor and other harmful substances also lead to increasing cases of domestic violence.
The tireless efforts of Meira Paibi organisations in the state against the liquor for the last 40 years have been rendered meaningless, she lamented.
Reiterating its demand for withdrawal of the cabinet decision on legalising liquor in the state, Sumatibala said that Nupi Marup will support movements launched against the legalisation.