Island villagers opposed to liquor trade

Island villagers opposed to liquor outlets in their area – a success story

By Debkumar Bhadra

Apropos news item “Villagers oppose opening of liquor outlets in LA” carried in Echo of India dated August 21, 2019. Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I would like to congratulate the villagers for raising objection against liquor outlet in Little Andaman. My thanks are also due to Echo of India for giving prominence to the news item.
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It is well established fact that alcoholism is the mother of all evils, the root cause of deteriorating social values, failing morals, matrimonial discord, diminished productivity, loss of livelihood, poverty, poor health and a variety of other ailments. Women, children and a large section of the population belonging to the lower income group are the worst affected. Easy availability of liquor is adding to their woes; there are reports that say school going juveniles and youths are increasingly getting addicted to the intoxicating drink.

Article 47 of the Constitution of India directs the state to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health as among its primary duties and, in particular, the state shall endeavour to bring about prohibition of intoxicating drinks and drugs which are injurious to health. By raising objection against opening of liquor outlet, villagers did their part. It is now duty of the state to ensure no one is able to push liquor in villages against the wishes of villagers.

It is not that the government does not listen, it does, provided we spare some efforts doing the spade work before raising objection, say for example documenting violation vis-à-vis building byelaws, safety protocols, excise regulations etc and communicating it in writing to the concerned authorities within the given time frame so that it becomes easy (read difficult) for the authorities to take a call (read turn a deaf ear). Let me cite an example.

During November 2010, there was an attempt to open a liquor bar in Shore Point village in a building that was constructed violating almost all the safety and construction norms. Not only this, the piece of land on which the building stands had been converted to “commercial” by misrepresentation of material facts. Also the building situated in thickly populated residential area did not comply with even a single criteria for grant of bar licence, yet it got the official nod. How? is anybody’s guess.

In response to a public notice buried (read published) on the inside pages of the official mouthpiece, inviting claims and objections, villagers specifically womenfolks came out in large numbers. Petitions were filed against the proposed bar individually as well as collectively. Each and every violation was documented and communicated to the authorities in writing. The Hon’ble Lt Governor A&N Islands as well as The Chief Secretary A&N Administration were kept in the loop.

Shore Point Gram Panchayat endorsing the sentiments of the villagers also wrote against granting permission for liquor bar in the village. Humane Touch, an NGO based in Wimberly Gunj lending whole hearted support to the initiative against liquor trade, wrote to various enforcement agencies requesting them not to grant bar licence in the area.

Here I would like to bring in the SP Andaman District who in a letter addressed to the Deputy Commissioner South Andaman, narrating the factual position, wrote “… there is no sufficient parking place available and the area (where the bar is proposed) is congested. Moreover the report of the Special Branch (CID) indicates that NGO Humane Touch Organisation etc are against the sale of liquor and issuance of bar licence at Bambooflat area and NGO may protest against the bar licence at Bambooflat.”

Ultimately, giving in to the wishes of the villagers, the authorities did not grant licence to operate liquor bar in Shore Point village. Thus the nefarious attempt to push liquor in the village was thwarted by the collective efforts of the villagers, an NGO and the concerned agencies. The building now houses a family which is living as peacefully as everyone else in the village.

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