Nupi Samaj in stir mode, Heirok protests liquor ban lift
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, September 22 2022: Apart from asking if chief minister N Biren Singh took consent of the people before taking the decision to legalise sale of liquor merely for revenue generation, Nupi Samaj has warned that an intense agitation of the people similar to the June 18 uprising is inevitable if the government does not revoke its recent decision on the liquor policy.

Addressing media persons at its Lamphel office, here, on Thursday, Nupi Samaj president T Ramani strongly condemned legalisation of liquor alleging that the decision to lift the ban was taken in cahoots with some ministers without taking consent of the people.

Government's sudden decision to legalise liquor merely for revenue generation has rendered more than 50 years long struggle by women against drugs and intoxicants meaningless, she rued and re-iterated that intense agitation would be launched against the government if it fails to revoke the cabinet decision.

The chief minister must immediately review the decision and if no positive response comes forth from the side of the government, Nupi Samaj will launch various forms of intense agitations along with like-minded civil society organisations, she asserted.

Many organisations, particularly those cam paigning against liquor and drug abuse had already registered their strong objection to the decision of the state government.

While strongly condemning the cabinet decision, Coalition Against Drugs and Alcohol (CADA) had also demanded the government to immediately revoke the cabinet decision.

CADA had said that such a move of the state government will benefit only some entrepreneurs.

Meanwhile, Meira Paibi activists of Heirok Part II Mayai Leikai in Thoubal district staged a sit-in-protest on Thursday denouncing the state cabinet's decision to legalise liquor and raised slogans.against the same.

They also demanded immediate withdrawal of the cabinet decision.

Local Meira Paibi leader Mutum Nandi told media persons at the protest venue that the government should not invite Meira Paibi for the third Nupi Lal advised the government to annul the cabinet's decision without further delay.

Condemning government's liquor legalisation decision, Mutum Nandi said that majority of incidents of oppression of women by men occur due to influence of alcohol and other addictive substances and hence women of the society would not accept the government's decision.

Government has taken a step which is quite contradictory to desire of the women who have been struggling for several decades to save the society from degradation, she said, adding that the government's liquor legalisation decision is akin to belittling the decades long struggle of women against drugs and alcohol.

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