Editorial: Tragedy in Bihar

The ban in Bihar has become more of a problem than a solution.

Hyderabad: The spirits tragedy in Bihar’s Saran district that claimed more than 30 lives was a grim reminder of the pitfalls of the prohibition policy. The anti-alcohol law introduced by the Nitish Kumar government in April 2016 has not been effectively enforced, leading to rampant illegal alcohol smuggling and drug trafficking. Deaths from drinking counterfeit alcohol happen from time to time, which is frustrating. More than 80 spirits tragedies have died in different parts of the state so far this year. Official figures show there were almost no drug-related cases before 2015, but cases have surged since the implementation of the law. Even more worrying is that the majority of drug users are under the age of 10 and under the age of 25. Statistics show that addiction to ganja, charas/bhang surged after the ban. Smuggling of alcohol from neighboring countries and Nepal continues unabated. The ban encourages the smuggling and sale of counterfeit alcohol. Recently, large shipments of alcohol bound for Bihar were seized in Haryana and Punjab. The lure of easy money has allowed partnerships between the booze mafia and law enforcement to flourish. As the parallel economy takes over, crime increases. Bihar has seen it all. Women-led community-based programs designed to spread public awareness of the ill effects of alcohol consumption may have better results than total alcohol prohibition.

Prohibition is an impractical and unenforceable idea in this day and age. Dry experiments have failed in many states in the past. The combination of Andhra Pradesh and dry law in the mid-1990s was a spectacular failure. In 1990, a group of women started an anti-Alec agitation in the village of Dubbaka in the Nellore coastal region, which quickly grew into a state-wide social movement. It became a major issue on the eve of the 1994 election, prompting the NTR to commit to a total ban. As he said, the first document he signed as chief minister after sweeping parliamentary polls was on alcohol ban. However, in addition to the huge financial losses, the state government had to deal with rampant smuggling and the free flow of illicit alcohol. The results of the dry method were disappointing. This will only lead to increased smuggling. Due to administrative problems, financial problems and increased smuggling, the government of Chandrababu Naidu finally lifted the alcohol ban in 1997. In Bihar, even the leaders of the ruling party have joined the scrutiny of the ban. Nitish Kumar has been accused of ignoring the adverse consequences of his policies, choosing instead to take the moral high ground. The ban in Bihar has become more of a problem than a solution. The key to the alcohol cartel is getting away with it.