In less than a week after more than 90 women, men, and children died in a calamitous fire at the AMRI hospital in Kolkata, illicit brew has claimed the lives of about 150 people, at Sangrampur in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. Preliminary reports indicate that the hooch was sold in sachets, priced between Rs.7 and Rs.20, virtually opposite a police post in the area. Starting with a couple of deaths early in the morning, the toll kept rising through the day and touched 80 by daybreak next day. Most of the victims complained of body pain, stomach cramps, vomitting, and a burning sensation. The health authorities diagnosed the early deaths as due to “cardio-respiratory failure” arising out of methyl poisoning. Evidently, licensed liquor sold through the legal retail system was out of the reach of the poor, who fell into the trap of the hooch trade. At last report, about a hundred victims were in hospital, most of them said to be recovering.
The recurrence of heart-rending tragedies caused by the killer brew only lends credence to the thinking among political parties and State governments that it might be better to introduce legal sale of licensed liquor than let addicts go for the illicit stuff. One solution that seems to work is the Tamil Nadu model — where the State government monopolises the trade through a State-run distribution corporation that controls the supply of IMFL (Indian Made Foreign Liquor) and facilitates widespread access to it. For one thing, such a system brings in substantial revenue that can be used for financing welfare schemes. Prohibitionists might raise the objection that it also makes liquor available more easily to young people, leading to a much wider health-damaging addiction. But the evidence from across India shows that prohibition just doesn't work; in fact, it brings on all sorts of ill effects, social as well as medical. Although States that still implement prohibition, full or partial, have set up separate wings in the police department to handle cases arising out of prohibition offences and illicit brewing, it is common knowledge that connivance between the brewers and sections of the police makes the hooch flow, particularly in festival season. Most, if not all, victims tend to be poor labourers, and the families end up paying a terrible price. Alcoholism is a social menace that needs to be tackled in a sensitive, intelligent, multi-pronged way. Driving it underground, to dangerous devices, is clearly not the way.
close on the heels of tragedy in AMRI,the death toll due to hooch is grim reminder of the whole country. The Bihar govt. must take a lesson from such tragic event taking place West Bengal so that it can be averted.Licensing to brew in Bihar is also permitted,giving much revenue to the govt.
What lures people to opt hooch is the relative low price. The author is right in saying that making it legal to sell licensed liquor will prevent people from going for illicit purchase of low quality liquor. But a proper mechanism has to be adopted to restrict its sale to juveniles.
After taking the oath as the West Bengal CM, Mamta Benergee already finding it hard to deal with the growing nexal menace, she is reeling under public anger over AMRI tragedy and now the hooch misfortune. Only the time will tell how does CM handle such upheaval tasks and emerge as dynamic and strongest CM as she is known for and turnaround the State from crisis to developed one on the lines of public expectations.
Hooch tragedy in India has become a perennial problem. Almost every year people are reportedly killed after consuming illicit liquor. State Excise department bears the sole responsibility to rein in the sale of illicit liquor and make better the revenue of the State by increasing the sale of alcohol legalised by the government. Irony is that the State Excise Department has completely failed to carry out its duties in true letter and spirit across the country following which the sale of illicit alcohol is on rise, killing the people who consume poisonous methyl contained illegal alcohol which is available round the clock at cheap rate. The concerning department rarely conduct raids to destroy the den of liquor mafias, who are making money at the cost of innocent lives and by the greasing the palm of officials and staff. The government must take effective actions to check in spurt of illegal spirit and safe the lives of people and increase revenue manifold.
The tragedy is mindboggling. The surest way to meet the ends of justice in such cases is to arrest the culprit seller of the killer brew and confiscate his/her entire property, put him to death. And all this within a period of six months during which the trial with even the appeals to the Apex court should be completed. And no question of queue for the gallows - the queue that never moves.
What India lacks is ACCOUNTABILITY. The people arrested after this tragedy are NOT the real culprits. A Government's responsibility is to set laws and ENFORCE those rules and protect its citizens. In all these, the West Bengal government has failed miserably. First the tragedy of patients burning to their death, there is no national policy on fire safety measures which makes everyone flout the rules. The ones who should have been arrested are the Fire station officers who gave a OK certificate to the hospital and the minister who is responsible for Fire safety. And in this case it should be Mamata herself. But this is not what they do, lacking morality, its pushing the blame on one or the other. Or taking great pride in renaming state to Paschim Bengal as if people were dying because of the old name,
One has to be honest to oneself. The tragedy with our liquor policy is that our governments have gone hyper hypocritical in their stance. There can be no debate on the the matter that the revenue from liquor trade constitutes the spine of fiscal sustenance of the States. Then why can't it be accepted as such, honestly. As you say, alcoholism is a social menace, but not alcohol. There is no room for moral sermon in the issue. The government wants liqour trade to flourish to gather revenue. Then do it the right way in right earnest. The hooch trade is the real villain of the piece. It flourishes because of the unholy collusion of some unscrupulous mafia elements and corrupt officials. The routine raids of the clandestine dens have degenerated into mere masquerades. Total prohibition is neither topical nor possible given the current social milieu is any indication. It is preposterous. So assume exclusive cotrol of liquor trade and ensure supply of genuine liquor to preclude calamities.
In 21st century teaching people about ill effects os alcohol is not going tohelp.It should be th eindividual choice to consume alcohol or not. But certainly government can help people to come out of this addiction and help their family. Whatever needs to be done doesn't justify the innumerable death of poor people, just because they had some alcohol in a day. Illicit liquour barons should be educated and provided kids to detect the methanol content, so that if the methanol content is above the safe limits they don't distribute to the people( in one way it's good for thier business). Illicit liqour and so many other menaces facing the poor can't be overcome by stringent rules or laws. Proper empowerment of women, adequate education,creating environment conducive for climbing up the soacial ladder is the way forward, until than these death should be prevented by any means.
Bad days for Mamta Banerjee & people of Bengal. Soon after the hospital fire this has come where precious lives are being lost. Government's very objective is save life & good amninistration. No matter how efficient one is he needs the grace of god. That one can get only when one is humble. Perhaps Mamta needs to be leave behind the pride of her electroral victory.
The most pertinent question immediately after the the hootch tragedy should not be how to make alcohol more easily available to the poor rather how to rid them of this killer addiction? While I admit that destroying hootch dens and arresting those running this racket are only analgesic to this wide spread malaise, not a permanent solution, I think making the liquor more readily available through state run counters will be counter-productive. It might reduce death toll but will also lure many more to take to drink. Instead the government should run intensive awareness campaign, counselling service and provide free-of-cost rehabilitation to those struggling to come out of alcoholism.
Why is whole political fraternity and so called social activists (and media), who didnt waste a minute in galloping against Anna on his explanation for how he got rid of liquor menace in his village, now so much silent on hooch killings.
The hooch tragedy is a grim reminder to the Bengal government, who often hits the news for its state administration found inadequate in cracking whip on social offenders. Mamataji should alo be wary of the hitory sheeters and the criminals who unusually got emboldened when she gate crashed police stations to relieve them from the clutches of strong arms of law.
The Editorial reflects the sad commentory on Bengal after Maoist menace, Rail mishaps,Hospital fire and now hooch linked tragedy. God knows what is the next impending mishap? The need of the hour is to recruit 25,000 young intelligent graduates as 'super cops' in each and every state to enforce law & order and challan the delinquents throughout the state. People must be disciplined not thro' harsh words or torture but by bonafide hefty fines so that they realise truth quicker and become good citizens. I pity Mamatadi and standby her in this hour of distress. She must succeed.
Although prohibition forces people to go towards illegal stuff we must have little faith in the system and make stronger laws and better forces to stop it rather than risking peoples lives in the long run. Alcohol creates problems like health hazards, drunken driving, poor man spending his wages on alcohol rather than education and food for his child...
good article
The example of prohibition in US is most enlightning. Womens groups (apart from releigous and temperance groups) who were at the forefront of the demand for prohibition later demanded its repeal. Reason: their husbands paid through their nose for illegal liquor.
Both of the recent tragedies (the fire and this one to do with illicit liquor) have their origins in India´s corrupt system. I feel the media should more strongly identify this connection and highlight. An editorial to cleanse the soul and to move on is not enough. I would urge the Hindu to investigate urgently and clearly enunciate for the readers what happened and who was responsible. The police wont or cant do their job, and if the media does not do its full bit, we have nowhere to go.
Without Trust and Team coordination the system which delivers good governance from Mantri(CM) to Santri(police/hospital guards)cannot be brought. CM-Mamta continues not to trust his team and keep several portfolios with herself wherein she is engaged in firefighting FDA resistance at National level.
If the government earns money on liquor in the name of financing welfare schemes, there is nothing more hypocritical than that. The hooch tragedy is not an argument to corrupt the youth and adults. In the long term,more people suffer from deceases and death if governments sustain on such immoral and illegal trade.Let the government make people aware of the dangers of illicit liquor and exercise its power to curb illegal brewing.
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