1. Mizoram permits DESI liquor
  2. Kerala wants to ban DESI Liquor
  3. IPS training academy bans DESI liquor
  4. Tribal insurgency in pre and post-independent India

Mizoram permits DESI liquor

  • 1995: Mizoram passed law to completely ban liquor.
  • But later Government feels that “total” prohibition has harmed the state- because juntaa still drinking Deshi and dying because of hooch. (Zahrili-sharaab).
  • 2014: new act, lifts “total” prohibition from the state.
  • Now anyone above 21 years can drink- both deshi as well as videshi liquor. But he’ll need permit.
  • New act raised fines and jail-terms for all type of drinking related offences.
  • Any citizen can arrest drunkards but they have to hand them over to police or Excise and Narcotics officials.

Kerala wants to ban DESI Liquor

New liquor policy to apply total prohibition within 10 years in phased manner

Anti-Government argument Pro arguments
  • “individual discipline and not State discipline is what is required.”
  • The policy will also affect state income and tourism industry- lakhs of people employed directly and indirectly.
  • Kerala has highest per capita consumption of liquor- families are broken, household savings are eroded.
  • Constitution doesn’t provide Fundamental Right to sell liquor to those bar owners. They were given licenses and the State has right to cancel licenses.
  • Liquor is outside the purview of commerce in art19.
  • State has power to impose restriction on liquor trade, or create its own agency to sell liquor. This doesn’t violate art14 (equality before law).
  • Anyways, Under this policy, State Government planned to cancel bar licences of all hotels below the category of five-star  (from 12-September onwards).
  • Obviously, those bar owners did not like it, NOT ONE BIT. so they went to HC and then to SC.

SC stayed the govt. order because of following reasons:

  • flaw in the policy- drunkards can still goto five star hotels or the zero star Toddy shops!
  • Policy is discriminatory and against constitutional right of equality – if state wants to impose prohibition then ban should be equally imposed on all the liquor selling shops- irrespective of stars.
  • Only 10% of the govt. outlet will be closed every year.
  • Govt. should educate the mass against harmful effects of liquor before the sudden and outright ban on the small liquor shop.

IPS training academy bans DESI liquor

  • Aruna Bahuguna: first lady director of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA), Hyderabad.
  • SVPNPA = place where IPS probationers are trained.
  • But recently a trainee IPS died after drowning in the swimming pool, under the influence of liquor.
  • Therefore, Director has banned all types of liquor in the academy.