Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Millions of people in India’s eastern state of Bihar were joining hands on Saturday in support of a recently introduced ban on alcohol in the region.
Alcohol prohibition has become a favoured electoral campaign tool in India, aimed at garnering votes of women fed up with alcoholic and even abusive husbands.
But is prohibition effective in curbing alcohol consumption? Regional governments that have introduced it as a state policy say its aim is to save families from financial ruin and control domestic abuse, crime, accidents and disease.
However, social activists claim prohibition seems to have been more effective as a vote-winner than a social reform tool.
Alcohol abuse is on the rise and the poor are worst affected, they say, with the ban often leading to sales of deadly illicit liquor.
“Disincentives like taxes and restricting availability would be preferable to a ban, which is not suitable for a liberal democratic country,” said Denzil Ferdes, director of the Indian Social Institute.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s promise to prohibit the consumption, manufacture and sale of alcohol won him a second term in the state with a population of 100 million.
Soon after his re-election, Kumar announced the ban would take effect in April 2016. Prohibition was also a major poll plank for all mainstream parties in the elections in Tamil Nadu state later that year.
Prohibition is in place in states including Gujarat, Manipur and Nagaland, but has only been a partial success.
Alcohol consumption is still rampant amid widespread smuggling and illicit sales. Illegal manufacture of alcoholic drinks has also caused hundreds of deaths. Meanwhile, other states have lifted their bans after losing out on tax revenue.
In recent months, Bihar has led a crackdown. Those flouting the ban face up to 10 years in jail, and a fine of up to 1 million rupees (14,700 dollars).
As many as 31,899 people have been arrested on various charges, including sale, promotion or consumption, while 550,000 litres of liquor have been seized.
But social campaigners say such measures are unlikely to curb illegal activities. Some suggest the government needs to promote a communal ownership of prohibition, others feel a long-term weaning-off strategy is required.
“The government feels [that] it is only fear which will make prohibition successful. There should be more emphasis on rehabilitation and de-addiction and involving the village councils,” said Uma, secretary of the National Movement Against Addiction.
“It will become effective only when it has social acceptance,” Uma added. Her organization is working on a model national drug and alcohol prohibition law.
“Indians’ drinking habits are problematic, with one-third falling in the ‘hazardous drinkers’ category. Preventive strategies in most states have failed,” said Johnson Edyaranmula from Alcohol and Drug Information Centre, a substance abuse prevention NGO.
“You need to have a well-thought-out, sustained campaign involving the community for at least 10 years to make it work.”
Bihar officials said the government is taking the prohibition campaign to the “next level” by building an all-encompassing people’s movement, with initiatives like Saturday’s human chain and awareness drives to check the spread of alcoholism.
“Bihar desperately needed a social change. Our state has mostly poor rural areas that were in the grip of widespread addiction,” Bihar excise commissioner Aditya Das stated.
“It was a deplorable situation. Men were wasting their earnings and women suffered. Children as young as 13 to 14 years had taken to drinking,” he stated.
Das claims that the ban has had a salutary effect on the socio-economic situation and been welcomed by families.
“Bihar faces an annual revenue loss of 40 billion rupees (600 million dollars) but the social costs are far more than the gain through alcohol revenues. We’ll manage,” said another state official, who requested anonymity.
The liquor industry has been critical of “the knee-jerk manner” in which the Bihar ban has been enforced, leading to huge job and industry losses.
“The poor need to be protected so their disposable incomes are not wasted but using this as a ground to totally eliminate alcohol is not right. Prohibitions haven’t worked in India or the world,” said Shobhan Roy, director general of the All India Brewers’ Association.
But Chief Minister Kumar said he is “determined to change this track record of public policy” in a recent article.
“In Bihar there will be no half measures,” Kumar wrote.