Is there a dry day in this dry state ?
Inspector Killjoy Knows The Law & Disoder Situation

Gautam Sharma *

Foreign liquors seized by security forces on October 04 2011 :: Pix - Victo P

CHEERS, for the law and disorder situation of the state. Cheers! Cheers! ..... !

Is there a dry day in this dry state? The quest to know the answer stills hang back, as friends of mine said, "Although the place we live in is a dry state, yet we have many joints to wet our lips, many kiosks to render the services. Whatever the brands, the names, or its type and variety, both foreign and country made are all available here. It's just a matter of price and quality".

Anyway, who doesn't know the truth, and who doesn't ignore the facts'? But, ignorance is no more a bliss. So, is there a dry day in this dry state?

The promulgation of the very decades-old prohibition law seems unable to show us the 'Scotch-Whisky-Rum-Brandy-Vodka-Free society'. Neither the state has become a 'Hooch-Free' [Asaba-Atingba-Free], even with the active drives carried out by self-styled guardian groups, to intervene or reduce the 'Supply & Demand' chain.

And, the sanctions that prohibited manufacturing, transportation, sale and consumptions of alcohol and alcoholic beverages, in the state do not mean that the state had touched the milepost of 100 percent alcohols-free results. Then, what's the big deal going on?

The Script of this story has its own twists & turns, fills with thrills and humor, suspense with hate-triangles but loses the momentum before its climax.

Many Joints, for both high & low-profile people, start their verve from twilight and run till late into the night though we survived in the night life-free zones. And the duty-bounded pawns of the inspectors spoilt the spots, by exercising their power and duties, reaching all the Hooch-Conner meetings being their targets. And the pawns of these duty-bound officers don't provide duty-free services, because Inspector Killjoy knows the law and disorder situation of the state.

Later, the poor businessperson learnt that the articulation of his business lies in understanding the authority and managing the system. So, in order to calm the situation and to create a consumer friendly environment of his premise, he greases the palms, then built the rapport and finally the pawns of the Inspector Killjoy became the users-friendly collector, as duty-free service facilities are availed only at International airports, as the Inspector Killjoy knows the law and disorder situation of the state.

As an effect of the humors, rumours have also spread of mixing unwanted elements in the hooch, for instance mixing homemade spirits and detergent powders to enlarge the margin of dividend by the joint-runners, to meet all the ends.

And, in sequences at other places, the highly educated, trained, friskers of well-mannered 'Very Dangerous Force' spell-out the prohibition laws, as consuming or drink-driving can be dealt with higher penalty or with jail terms. Yes, these boys are right. And, they deserve the Distinguished Service Medal, as they can determine the level of alcohol present in blood without commissioning any lab-test. What amounts to offence and what not, depends on them.

Even though with enforcement of rigid law & regulations by stringent enforcers, the visibility of sea changes in scenes are filled with mistiness. As the quest to know the answer stills hangs back, 'Is there a dry day in this dry state'.

For good and betterment of all, the options of opinions available to my friends was; 'Amend the law or Mend the system', as the system seems more injurious analogically with alcohol consumption, which are injurious to health and also it won't be a good idea to dismantle or root-out the inherent indigenous distinctive culture and skills from a community, or delete the chapters of the customary practices of brewing rice-wine from the history of Manipur.

Some fellas, who are post-industrial dreamers, opined in amending the law & system, to pave a revenue route, as we settled in a revenue constraint state. We should be in tune with changing times, should learn to dance with the new beat of the rhythms. After all, the absolute 79.85 percent people are literate, from total populations.

They said, 'Collect genuine revenues or taxes by introducing a new structural license system for the both the parties, consumers and sellers. Set the criteria for brewing, selling the hooch in improved quality; establish an accreditation authority/institute to oversee the quality before its releases for public consumption. Set the state's Dry days, Fix the legal drinking age, and also set how much unit of liquors an individual can acquire at a given time.

Prescribe penalty for boozing or selling without a license or drink driving. For instance, experts say the penalty for drink driving is usually graded according to alcohol levels in the blood, so set what amount to offence and what not. So that the Inspector Kill joy's pawns doesn't work like an employee of revenue or income tax department.

I lauded their idealistic vision, but what I said was, 'it would be like teaching business to the Marwari community or tutoring a Sanskrit Acharya or Shastri on how to conduct a puja".

Then they all finally LOL, and said, 'Is there a dry day in this dry state?

We ended the CHEERS session with a recounting a Dylan's verse;

Come mother and father
Throughout the land;
And don't criticize
What you can't understand;
Your sons and daughters,
Are beyond your command;
Your old road is rapidly again'
Please get out of the new one,
If you can't lend your hands;
For the times they are a changing.

NEWSPERSON: A mid-media campaign has kicked-off today with an object to disseminate a new issue so-called 'HOMENSTIC VIOLENCE', in a classic hotel near the Hotel Classic. A campaigner had voiced that, men are often harassed mentally or assaulted verbally by their spouses (wives/partners). He added, 'oftentimes men are emotionally blackmailed at homes by their partners over some petty matter'.

The Campaigners would submit a memorandum to all the DRINGO's Industries to introduce 'FATHER HORLICKS', as a post-natal remedy and to recovery from physical and metal-exhaustion for running in the hospitals during their child delivery.

TAGLINE: 'No one would denies that moths are attracted to light, and old dog can't be trained'