Flash floods in Sri Lanka, Australia and Brazil. Biting cold and fog in north India. If there is one thing linking all these in the minds of the doomsdayers, it can be summed up in two words — global warming, preferably in capital letters. Cities and shorelines drowned under water a la “Waterworld” is how it is imagined. So we have the Maldives government holding a Cabinet meet under the sea, while the Nepalese government hikes up the Himalayas. And is Kerala immune?
Trapped between the devil of the ghats, on one side, and the deep blue sea (or should it be muddy grey) on the other, this narrow strip can ignore such a threat only at its peril. But there is an even greater threat looming over this State and it is a clear and present danger. Liquid death in another form. No not H2O but C2H5OH!
Yes, ethanol aka alcohol aka elixir (of death). There was a time in the 1970s and 1980s when the Gulf oil boom was at its peak and many a young man from the State made his fortune there. Then the efflux of nurses to the U.S. Lavish houses sprang up as a result, with the only occupants being the elderly grandpa and grandma. The situation is now similar but because of a sinister reason.
The young men are drowning in alcohol and inviting slow death. They are in hospitals, ravaged with pancreatitis and liver diseases. In the peak of life, they are battling alcohol withdrawal syndromes in de-addiction centres. Meanwhile their parents drown in tears, their wives struggle to keep afloat and children are adrift.
The Grim Reaper is busy and happy and every once in a while hurries some to a faster death in their two- and four-wheelers. In fact, a day spent in the surgical casualty of any government medical college in the State will reveal the fact that almost 95 per cent of vehicular accidents involve people who are driving after having consumed alcohol in some form or the other.
And these do not happen only in the night. Alcohol-related accidents have no time of the day now, as the crowd throughout the day outside any beverages outlet will show. Alcohol has replaced water and tea as the favourite drink of Keralites. Spine chilling it would have been, but the senses have been numbed by the drink.
The churches in Kerala woke up to the danger some time ago. Cutting across denominations, they have started raising their voices. It is necessary for the Church to join hands with other organisations like the NSS and the SNDP to fight this evil. The political parties were used to using the drink to keep their people together and ready to fight at every call. It was like the proverbial Sheik Chilli cutting the branch on which he was sitting.
Responsible consumption
Realisation has dawned on them too, albeit a bit late. But better late than never. It is time for the leaders and thinkers on the Right and the Left to join together to face this situation. Complete prohibition may not be possible or practical but at least responsible consumption should be possible. The time to stand up and act is now; else there will not be many standing.
(The writer is Assistant Professor in Surgery, T. D. Medical College, Alappuzha, Kerala. His email id is: Philip.umman@gmail.com)
Keywords: Kerala liquor deaths
The state of affairs in Kerala is shocking and the state is deteriorating fast in all respects. Yes it is really sinking. If alcoholism is rampant, so is unemployment amidst a growing population of misguided youth, making it also fertile grounds for spreading politics of murder. It is also probably the most sick state in India - if the number of hospitals and quantities of drugs sold be a good yardsticks to measure level of diseases in the state. Kerala is fast becoming a 'Devil's own country'. It is becoming a 'FAILED STATE'. Yet the politicians dont care. And if concerned Keralites want to save Kerala , then please save it from the current set of political leaders of all hues . Every one of them is culpable. The present set of politicians do not care for the people or state or for that matter the country .They dont care for the public or common man. The only thing they care for is their political career and how they can make more money. Yet they call themselves 'servants of the people'. In every bandh or hartal called by the political leaders, the common man suffers . Every dharna , rally , procession taken out stops traffic and upset normal life, the common man really suffers ; every murder / amputation carried out, the common man is jolted badly. Ask any non-political common man in Kerala and he says he is suffering because of the political parties and their gimmicks . Then for whose benefit are these political parties and leaders staging hartals/ bandhs / rallies/ demonstrations/murders / amputations? Recently a political leader even challenged court orders and alleged that courts and judges were coming in the way of 'political leaders -servants of common man'. Can there be anything more further from the truth? Then what is left of law and order in the state? Imagine the level of their ignorance, arrogance and apathy for the common man. Add the religious fundamentalism being stoked and supported by some political parties for gaining immediate political mileage and we have a perfect recipe for disaster brewing in this state. In the last 1-2 years alone, there has been a palpable hardening in the attitude of Keralites against the actions and policies of the Kerala politicians. By shrugging off these wanton acts, by allowing these POLITICIANS to mold a society against its own will, the silent majority will hurt itself for generations to come. A people capable of THINKING should not allow themselves to be hijacked by a diminishing minority of Politicians . A state capable of influencing the balance of power in the Center cannot allow itself to be ridiculed by other Indian states.
It has reached to an extend that I am ashamed to say that I am a Keralite. Apart from the usual corruption and liquor issues, now Kerala is proving how low it can sink as a state. Let's forget about the government,it's something that can never ever change in Kerala where things work according to money and power(which is unfortunately similar to other states in India)but what about the moral side? The brutal murder of Soumya has revealed the immoral and ugly truth of the state. I truly wish there was one soul who had power in his hand and at the same time a little guts to stand up and speak for her justice!!!Pity you people who are kings of words but beggars of action!
This affliction of the average Malayalee, is more a psychological malaise than anything else. A lack of self esteem and a false sense of manliness achieved by how much of the 'poison' one can imbibe. Its peer pressure at its worst!!!...Insecurity also adds to the 'need'.
As a Keralite myself is sorry and frightened at the prospect of our homestate, which has continued to be a jewel in the Indian union due to its achievements on many fronts, being systematically destroyed by the greed of State Govt. (for taxes) and certain individuals for super profits. As in any calamity, in this case too the worst sufferers are the women and children. It was the foremost social reformer of the state Sree Narayana Guru advised the then toddy tappers to leave that profession and learn other professionss for livelihood. Tragically today the person at the helm of the affairs of SNDP, which was established by Guru himself, is himself one of the foremost liquot barrons of the state. The Kerala case also demonstrates that neither social stigma nor religious edicts can cure this disease. For Hindus the devas also consumed the Somarasa. For Christian it is a practice to serve Wine and other liquor for parties and get-togethers. But Muslims, as opposed to Hindus and Christians, propagate prohibition. But still the district of Malappuram in Kerala, predominantly a Muslim district, reportedly has always been one of the top districts as far as consumption of liquor and other contrabands are concerned. If on an average a drunkard in Kerala drinks for Rs.100/- day, he eats just peanuts or groundnuts worth just Paise 50. This habit of not eating well alongwith a drink also contributes to the faster degradation of inner organs. As a result, Malayalis today are not drinking liquor, but liquor is drinking up every Malayali addicted to it and as a result also the future of his/her generations to come. Is it there not a single God to help Gods' own country?
The absence of any social stigma attached to drinking or drunkenness is a major reason for this spreading problem. The pervasive notion that drinking is 'manly' and a mark of sophistication is an insidious destroyer of restraint. Alcohol is the world's greatest killer among drugs. A national weakness for this drug can easily lead to an ultimate failed society. The leadership to address this issue at all levels is absent, and the flow of money into alcohol consumption continues to the detriment of all other economic activity. Alcohol is a personal, family, societal and national tragedy. John Ruskin called it 'The spirit that destroys the Spirit."
When you watch any Malayalam film, all you see is booze for entertainment,either by the hero or any major characters, inclusive of women actors. It is shown as a past time, a tradition, a must or a normality in daily life. Comparatively other south Indian regional films have restricted approach. As a rank outsider, if one watches these films, it really shocking to see such permissive attitude on screen. People who portray themselves as purveyors of culture, or the pride of the land, should also have some responsibility to do good for the people.
It is surprising to note that there are only two responses to this well documented and scholarly article. The present day teenagers feel that there is nothing wrong in alcoholism. Serving Drinks of choice is the order of the day, either privately or openly during a reception or a get-together. It is natural that the road accident rates increase, consequent to unbridled alcoholism. It is high time that NGOs take steps to educate youngsters against this evil, which no Government would like to ban, as the revenue earned is very high.
One of the main reasons for spreading alcoholism in Kerala among the youngsters is the Abkari policy of the Govt. itself.
There are many worlds for many people in Kerala. The people of Kerala who thought Kerala would be theirs always are the ones who are sinking. The rate of land registrations in this part of the world should be the highest in the world. Poorer people are losing out to richer ones. A rich, miniscule dragon-net of Keralites and their associates are gulping down Kerala's territorial rights, making the traditional people who thought Kerala would always be theirs, landless and tenants in their own land. It's not alcohol that killing Keralites on roads - its a deadly combination of modern roads, modern machines and modern lifestyle whereby people are forced to hurry and run helter-skelter in order to make a living - which is claiming lives of Keralites. The depression is only set to increase as social sectors like health and education in Kerala has been waylaid by private entrepreneurs. Kerala has the highest concentration of hospitals - who not only diagnose illnesses, but also create newer diseases through illicit drugs which are allowed to be tested on its people. It is no wonder that the most sick place on this globe would be Kerala - if hospitals are good yardsticks for diseases. Skyrocketing prices for spurious and erstwhile affordable simple drugs makes treatment out of reach of common Keralites. Education sector which used to be affordable to all has now been allowed to be a forte for private businessmen and traders. If one could become an engineer or a doctor or a graduate with a few thousands of rupees in the not so distant past, today one has to earn in millions to dream of sending a child for graduation. If people go to religious places for mental relief, the religious heads would pump in their dosages of political acumen-ship, albeit at high periodical premium - sacred is no longer cheap and affordable. If people elect their representatives thinking some legislative protections could be coming their way - they would be startled to find their representatives plotting with corporates, coming out with heavenly job-promises - if their land holdings are allowed to be taken over. In such a situation, what is the cheapest remedy other than ethyl alcohol!
Well written article. Congrats to Philip Umman. I lost a fried to alcohol. He was in his 20s, but scorched his liver with his alcoholism.
The issue has been lingering for a long time. There was a period of partial prohibition, whereby the traditional arrack shops were replaced by state run Bevereges corp. But alas! this move has done more harm in the long run. Earlier the arrack shops used to be a social nuisance, but decent people were wary of the shops that only lower strata of the society only used to visit them. Going to an arrack shop was considered not a gentleman act, and the prospective grooms were screened for this. Now that the Bevereges Corp has taken up the retailing, any one can get a bottle of VP, OC (the traditional petnames for Indian-made foreign liquor) and 'enjoy' the day and night. Not to mention the 'Jawan' (again the nickname for illegally sold soldiers' ration) and the local made spirits (whose ever altering and curios nicknames included 'manavatti' or bride - for the sluggishness of those who drink to the blushes of a newly wed, 'moolavetti' or a tetrapack of 100ml which has to be cut at one corner to pour). These brands sell 10 times more than the government retail and is available round the clock, at cheap prices, and give more 'kick'. It will be surpising that the most of the gulf returnees are the sponsors of some of the parties given that the gulf countries have tight restrictions on drinking. The consumption levels of Keralites will shame many of the 'sinking' nations in west. This after the fact that most women dont drink (only a matter of time before they 'join the party', of 'liberlization') One of the most serious part is that the alcohol devastates the economically not privilaged class more than the upper class, just because the cheap liquor is mostly illegal home made stuff with all sorts of toxins, giving addiction. One will wonder why the low income people don't make much progress in a state where labour shortage is extreme and labour wages are something to envy even for white collar jobs. But shortage is mainly due to the 'sunk' labourer not available for work all week. One day work and remaining days drunk with the money. One of the serious reasons for the deterioration is lack of a social stigma associated with drinking, where by drinking is considered something manly (a teetotaler is considered a naive), the same reason why women are still staying away. Also the pouring gulf money makes average life of a self employed/moderately employed mediocre at best. Lack of hope or ambition is driving a sort of social mass depression. The government is wary of taking stringent action against the killer just because of fear of repression. After all drinking is a thing which is the most 'socialistic' thing uniting most of the Keralites. But one thing is being forgotten is the expenses on health and social devastation cannot be ignored for long, not to mention the law and order problems and accidents associated. I doubt if there is one stop solution to this problem. Social acceptance has to be done away with. The NGOs can do a bit here creating the awareness among the public. The govt should go for the jugular of the illegal alcohol industry, and should create a gradual redution in sales. also the Bevco outlets should be made in areas where public notice will fall first. This will deter many 'gentlemen' from standing in a queue in public view. After all money can be spent on many more joys of life and not just alcohol.
Please Email the Editor