Chapra hooch tragedy: Sacred Hindu scriptures emphasize the potential damaging consequences of engaging in activities such as gambling, prostitution and alcohol consumption. In a supposed effort to safeguard its citizens, Nitish Kumar has banned liquor in the state of Bihar. However, its results are counterproductive to the original intent.
Chapra hooch tragedy and Nitish mockery of it
Reports have surfaced that at least 50 people have died in Chapra, a city located in Saran district, after consuming illicit liquor. Additionally, the condition of five other individuals is reported to be critical. Although the local district administration has yet to officially confirm that these deaths were caused by alcohol consumption.
This is not the first time Bihar has seen such a tragedy. In this year alone, nearly 100 fatalities have been linked to the consumption of spurious liquor. Despite this, neither the state police nor the administration seems to be worried about the rising cases of illegal consumption of illegitimate liquor. Their insensitivities are out in the open now. Being a chief Minister, Nitish is himself leading the insensitivity bandwagon.
In response to Chapra hooch tragedy, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar blamed people for their death. He shrugged his hand off from any responsibility. that “if someone consumes alcohol, they will die” said Nitish. He further added that the “Liquor is bad and shouldn’t be consumed.” Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav chose to play party politics on it. He implied that it is unfair to target the Bihar government for its failure. Tejaswi’s justification is that more people die of illegal liquor in Gujarat than Bihar.
An RJD minister Sameer Mahaseth suggested choosing to pass on health advice to citizens. He warned them to develop immunity rather than relying on the government to stop the menace.
"…Best if you give up drinking. Poison,¬ liquor, coming here. If we build strength via sports,we might tolerate it but people will have to build that strength. Give it up!It's prohibited&being wrongly pushed here..," says Bihar Min SK Mahaseth on Chapra hooch tragedy (14.12) pic.twitter.com/o8v8cVviOG
— ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2022
The Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and leaders of opposition seem to be more worried about the political fallout than preventing deaths from happening in future. They are well-informed about the regulation of alcohol sales in the state. They have failed to properly oversee the ban and distribution of liquor in the state, leading to a situation of illegal smuggling.
Haphazard liquor ban and disastrous results
The implementation of the alcohol ban in the state was not sufficiently planned out. After achieving victory at the polls, Nitish Kumar hastily implemented a ban on alcohol without taking into account the practical implications of such an action. Nitish had not issued a state wide notification to officials for overseeing the compliance. Neither the Police Force was prepared nor the general populace was ready for sudden implementation.
When Nitish brought administrative mechanisms, he made it Talibanesque in nature. For instance, even if someone throws liquor in your home and somehow Bihar Police traces the smell, you will be nabbed and tried in Court. In November 2021, the Nitish Kumar-led government tightened the norms for the law-enforcement agencies and said that if liquor is found in any area, the Station House Officer (SHO) of that particular area will be suspended.
Loss of life as well as money
These kinds of restrictions do not work in democracy. Consequently, the ban has been unsuccessful, both on ground as well as for the government. as access to smuggled alcohol is still prevalent in the state. The sale of alcohol is rising in Bihar. Initially people used to rely on imports from their friends and families in other states. Soon, the rising cost of black-marketing forced them to make it on their own.
People make illegal liquor and needless to say, there is no prescribed formula to it. Given the level of education in the state, more often than not it turns out to be a hazardous activity, consuming people’s life. Unfortunately, these people are only a number in the government’s register. Even if we accept the insensitivity around numbers, the government is losing big on the economic costs of these lives. It is hard to calculate how much the state lost its GDP on account of these lives, but we can definitely say that the state treasury lost more than 20,000 crore due to not levying tax on the alcohol.
It is a political issue
Somehow, Nitish does not relate to any of them. For the last 6 years, the policy has developed into an ego issue for him. He has weathered so many storms on it that now if he turns back, it would be akin to accepting his mistake. Given that Nitish wants to become a Prime Minister in 2024, it won’t be a politically wise move for him.
Also Read : Nitish Kumar’s liquor ban had once made him tremendously popular, but now it is going to ensure his downfall
It is an affair that needs to be addressed. It is high time Nitish starts caring for people’s lives. After all, this is the essence of democracy. Those who do not listen to people are autocrats and Nitish would not want that tag.
Support TFI:
Support us to strengthen the ‘Right’ ideology of cultural nationalism by purchasing the best quality garments from TFI-STORE.COM
