More on killing the bottle

[My post Kill the bottle attracted some comments which cannot be dealt with briefly. Therefore I am presenting my response by way of this post.]

Like the case of the oldest profession, drinking is not something that can be effectively stopped by law. That is why prohibition has been a failure wherever it was tried. That includes the Soviet Union and the USA. Several States in India (including parts of Kerala) had banned liquor shortly after Independence. But all of them except Gujarat repealed prohibition law after a few years. Sales Tax, if I remember right, was originally introduced to compensate the loss in revenue due to prohibition.

But even after prohibition was scrapped, Sales Tax (including on liquor) continues. As a result of this and other ad valorem levies, every time the government increases the price of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL – whiskey, brandy, rum etc) the revenue earnings of the exchequer increase. Those who cannot afford the higher cost turn to illicit brew.

Let us take a brief look at the ‘total prohibition’ in Gujarat. There have been several liquor tragedies in that State resulting in many deaths due to consumption of illicit concoctions. Last July about 150 people died in this manner. But for people who can afford, there is enough stock of liquor that is smuggled into Gujarat from the neighbouring States. The prices are not too high.

I believe that in Ahmedabad you can place a telephone order with the local bootlegger for the stuff you want and it would be delivered to you in half an hour. Quite a luxury, I must say. Two separate commissions, one headed by Justice MN Miabhoy and the other by Justice AA Dave have concluded that prohibition has not been really effective in Gujarat.

Mr. Narendra Modi, the Cief Minister of Gujarat, did introduce some relaxation of the prohibition rules by making liquor more easily available in SEZs and for visitors and business conventions. But about 25,000 people staged a protest march against the dilution in the liquor laws.

The argument that consumption of alcohol is against Indian culture is incongruous. From Vedic times, the drink Soma, and liquor obtained by fermenting grains and fruits were consumed by the people of India. There is at least one reference to early Christians of Kerala using palm toddy instead of wine for Mass. Even today some deities are believed to like offerings of arrack.

On all counts, ‘total prohibition’ is impractical and would do more damage than good. Telling people not to drink would have no effect. Alcohol is not bad per se, but the abuse of it is. Therefore the objective should be to prevent excessive drinking. Perhaps the only way to achieve this is by creating awareness of the damages alcohol can cause and on how to drink if one wants to go ahead nevertheless. I am not talking about ‘smoking can kill you’ kind of publicity but something more intense and meaningful.

If a man walks into a bar and orders beer by the peg someone is sure to tell him that is not the way the stuff is to be consumed. Different types of alcohol are to be taken in different ways. A simple example is beer and hard liquor – the former can be gulped while the other stuff is to be sipped. I have seen many people drink whiskey in the manner that beer should be taken. Obviously they think that is the way it should be done.

Most Indians start drinking on the sly. They and their companions are equally ignorant of what to drink, when, and how. They are usually guided by what is shown in the movies where macho heroes knock back undiluted liquor. Or they blindly follow the example of others who are equally uninformed.

Let people know how different types of drinks should be consumed and in what quantities. Explain to them the physical and economic damages excess consumption of alcohol can cause. Drive home the fact that a drunk has no macho image. Let them know that sex after heavy drinking can be most frustrating for both partners. Tell them that the capacity to hold alcohol differs from person to person.

Persuade the people to drink in moderation, preferably at home. Wives should be happy to keep the husbands home; pour them couple of drinks and see that they sip it slowly and also ensure that they eat something along with it. Parents should be happy if their grown up children stick to beer or an occasional hard drink instead of turning to drugs.

A properly planned and executed awareness campaign would require large expenditure. How is it to be funded? Surely the liquor manufacturers can be roped in to contribute. In the long run it would only help their business. Part of the revenue from the duties and taxes on liquor that the government collects can be set apart for this drive.

But first of all let us be aware of a basic fact of life – prohibition is big business for some people. For that matter, even pricing the liquor high is inviting the moonshiners and bootleggers and smugglers to enter the hooch trade.

References:

http://news.rediff.com/column/2009/jul/15/dry-or-wet-gujarats-prohibition-conundrum.htm

http://prohibition.in/2009/11/29/busting-myths-of-gujarats-prohibition/

Also see Drunk on a wasted road

Kerala snippets

Tipplers unite.

It seems that there are several associations organized by the alcohol consumers of Kerala. A prominent one among them is ‘Forum for Better Spirit’. I like the name. It has several positive meanings, except perhaps the alcohol connotation.

In union is strength. And Kerala has so many unions.

Also see:

Merry Mallus and mosquitoes

The cradle of priests and nuns.

Meenachil Taluk in Kottayam Disyrict is a stronghold of Syrian Catholics. Pala (or Palai) is the headquarters of the Taluk (Revenue Division) and the Pala Diocese. Sr. Alphonsa, the first Indian woman Saint of the Catholic Church is from this diocese which has a membership of about 3,50,000.

Pala area has produced more Catholic priests and nuns than any other place in India, and perhaps the whole world. The number of bishops from Pala Diocese in the Catholic Church has exceeded 30.

Also see:

Vedas, Syrian Christians

Sr. Abhaya Case.

The CBI investigating team wanted to question Mar Kuriakose Kunnasserry who was the Bishop of Kottayam when Sr. Abhaya, a young nun was found dead 16 years ago. The aging prelate, who is leading a retired life, went to the CBI office for recording his statement.

The CBI has also requested for an appointment to meet the present Archbishop of Kottayam. In the meantime an Encyclical exhorting that the truth must be brought out in the Sr. Abhaya case was read out yesterday after Sunday Mass in all churches of the Kottayam Diocese.

Also see:

Kerala: The arrest of two Catholic priests and a nun for murder

Drunk on a wasted road

Almost two weeks have passed but the street scene that I saw keeps disturbing me on and off. On the evening of 13^th August, while returning from my dentist I stopped at a wine shop in Chennai to pick up a bottle. And there was this young man lying on the pavement near the steps of the outlet. People passed by avoiding him, not bothering one bit.

The youngster appeared to be around 25 years old. He was darkish, and surprisingly handsome. Chiseled features, well combed hair. Even the few days’ growth of beard looked well groomed. His clothes were not too dirty. He certainly was not the usual habitually drunken type.

The lad was blissfully asleep. It did not seem like a drunken stupor. There was a peaceful look on his face, as though he was having a pleasant dream. But certainly he would have consumed a large quantity of alcohol to be in that condition. Perhaps something else too, along with liquor.

What made him do that? A fight with parents? Somehow I felt that he was not married. Sudden loss of job? May be a broken love affair? Possibly he was dreaming of the girl involved. Was she beautiful? To him, she would have been, I suppose.

Whatever the problem was, it would still be there when he woke up, surely with a colossal hangover. Troubles that people face do not just go away. They have to be tackled, sorted out. Hopefully the youngster would have realized that when he became sober and pulled his life together again.

I watched him for a long time, wondering whether I should do something. I could have taken him to a hospital or contacted the police to handle the matter. May be there are social welfare organizations that would take care of cases like these but I was not aware of any.

I did nothing. Just went home.

Whenever I think of the incident, I feel a sense of guilt.

Should I have helped the boy? What do you think?

◙

Also see

Christmas spirit in Kerala

Madras Matters

Christmas spirit in Kerala

In certain matters Kerala is definitely is on the march. Liquor consumption for instance. The sale of branded spirits during last Onam recorded a 28% increase over the previous year.

For Christmas, from December 20^th to 25, Kerala with an adult population of about 2.2 crores (22 million) spent Rs.85.48 crores (USD 21.37m) on liquor sold through official channels! The preference was, as usual, for rum (65%) followed by brandy, whiskey and vodka. This is an increase of 22% from last year. New Year sales are expected to surpass this.

As I said in the post Kerala: Onam goes up in spirit ‘never before has so much been done by so few (Apology, Winston Churchill)’.

Kerala: A Minister’s magic solution to food shortage (sequel)

The new menu suggested by the Kerala Food Minister – milk, eggs and chicken - is running into problems. Even if someone wants to out of patriotism or whatever, follow the Minister’s instructions, it is not easy. On top of the shortage for rice, Kerala is now facing a scarcity of milk. The government seems to have overlooked that fact that the State has to depend on Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka for rice, milk, chicken, eggs, beef and vegetables.

Ends.

Also see: Un-ploughed lies my land

Kerala: Onam goes up in spirit

On August 26 The Hindu carried an article ‘Festival of Onam, from legend to mirage’ by the venerable Justice VR Krishna Iyer. Mr GV Krishnan (My Take by GVK) was kind enough to draw my attention to the thought provoking piece.

The Justice very correctly says that the media hype and commercial interests create illusions “tempting the youth and the fairer gender into expenditure beyond their means.” He goes on to comment “Onam today has become robbery, bankruptcy and alcoholism, fleecing the spirit of the festival.”

Today there are two disturbing headlines. One is that three people died in Quilon District by consuming illicit liquor during Onam celebrations. Another report is that during the three days of Onam (on the fourth day the liquor shops were closed) Kerala consumed Rs. 52.79 crores worth of spirits. This is an increase of 28% over last year. The amount spent on toddy, illicit drinks and smuggled foreign liquor is not known.

According to the figures published in the Business Line of May 3, 2004, Kerala had 2.109 crores voters consisting of 1.016 crore males and 1.093 crore females, say, a total of 2.1 crores aged eighteen and above. There could be marginal increase during the last three years.

Never before has so much been done by so few (Apology, Winston Churchill) .

Ends.