June 17, 2011
 
Drunkenness is an immoderate affection and use of drink. That I call immoderation is besides or beyond that order of good things for which God hath given us the use of drink. – Jeremy Taylor, English bishop and theologian (1613-1667).
 
Down the centuries people have questioned those who preach temperance and control the lifestyle of others. Temperance maniacs thought of Prohibition which drove the drinkers underground into the welcoming embrace of bootleggers fronted by, in India for instance, the ubiquitous “Aunties” in the backroom. Then came enlightenment and government greed which saw the lifting of Prohibition as the golden goose to generate fat revenues. That hurt the interest and income of bootleggers and their protectors – the netas, babus and cops.
 
So, now Prohibition seems to be back through the backdoor and we are being driven again into the welcoming embrace of bootleggers and their aunties in the shady speakeasies. Now the state arrogates to itself the right to control and regulate the drinking lifestyle of the citizens in its misplaced belief that it knows best how its adult citizens should behave. The latest example comes from Maharashtra in the form of new laws and rules, as detailed by Sandeep Ashar in The Times of India, and excerpted below:
 
If you are below 25 you will not be allowed to drink hard liquor anywhere in Maharashtra. Fresh restrictions have been imposed on liquor consumption. The legal drinking age for rum, gin, whisky and country-made liquor has been fixed at 25 years. This decision has been taken during Maharashtra state cabinet meeting on June 1, 2011. The legal drinking age for these hard drinks was 21 years previously. The legal drinking age for the consumption of mild beer has similarly been fixed at 21 years. The provisions are part of the government’s new de-addiction policy.
 
The new policy also includes provisions that allow sale of only two liquor bottles a week to one permit holder. (Incidentally, not many know that you require a “health permit” to buy and consume alcohol in Maharashtra. That this is ignored is another story). .Penal action has been proposed for violators. Citizens will also be required to take permission from the excise or police officials for serving alcohol during public functions, including birthdays and marriage parties.
 
Permission from the excise department or local police is now mandatory before one serves liquor at public functions. Action would be taken against those flouting this norm, said Sachin Ahir, Minister of State, Social Justice Department, which formulated the policy. The local police station and excise officials will also have power to revoke the drinking permit and initiate criminal action against someone creating a nuisance after getting drunk at a public function.
 
The policy also empowers a district collector to declare three additional dry days on “special” occasions apart from the nine state-wise dry days. While the state excise department has claimed that most of the provisions, including the revised drinking age limits, had already been incorporated in the Act, Shivajirao Moghe, Minister, Social Justice Department, said that the new policy would aim to enforce these.
 
The department had initially planned to increase the drinking age to 30 years throughout the state (the 30-year norm is already in place in Wardha of Mahatma Gandhi fame). This plan was dropped following objections raised by other cabinet ministers and the excise department. A plan to stop issuance of new permits for liquor shops was also shelved following objections raised by other departments. The department had also proposed that politicians engaged in selling of alcohol should not be permitted to contest elections, along with their family members. Even this was dropped following objections raised by cabinet ministers.
 
Moghe said that the 52-point policy was aimed at “prohibiting sale of illicit liquor and regulating sale of legal brands.” It has been decides that if 25% voters or 25% female voters (the earlier norm was 35%) from a ward or gram sabha apply for closure of a liquor shop, the collector will be required to call a ballot. If 50% of the voters or female voters vote against the liquor shop, it will be relocated.
 
Externment action will be taken against those found distributing illicit liquor. A NGO will be formed in all districts to coordinate de-addiction activity. Police officials found going soft on illicit liquor shops will be acted against. Few ministers also said that imposing new restriction on liquor consumption will affect excise revenue. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said: “It is a contentious issue with different opinions. The policy is to attempt to encourage de-addiction activity. Government is open to discussion.” The policy is silent on what action would be taken against those found consuming liquor without permits.
 
Commenting on the subject, Times noted: “The government’s decision is both arbitrary and out of touch with the times. When any Indian can get a voter’s ID or driving licence at 18, raising the legal drinking age from 21 to 25 is illogical. Moreover, how it will be implemented is unclear.” The New Indian Express said editorially: “In the case of the ill-advised law on drinking, the near impossibility of its implementation is obvious since it is not easy to make out whether a young person is below 25 if he insists that he is not. ( May be one has to carry his passport or other designated documents to the bar or wine shop to prove the age) Besides, it is likely to encourage drinking at home which has its pros and cons. Law of this nature should be uniform across the country so that ruling parties do not score petty political points.”
 
States in India act on herd mentality. Following Maharashtra, in Kerala, which has the highest per capita consumption of over eight litres per year, is planning to raise the eligible age for procuring and consuming alcohol from 18 to 21 years. If the manager of liquor shop feels that the person does not fulfill the age bar, it would be the buyer’s responsibility to prove his age. In Karnataka, apart from increasing excise duty, there has been a debate on shifting liquor shops and bars beyond one KM of educational institutions and religious places of worship. (Taunting the impracticality of this proposal, one minister quipped that all such institutions should be shifted out of the city so that liquor vendors, bars and their patrons are left undisturbed).
 
Beyond the age factor, there is the cost factor that drives drinkers to consume illicit liquor from the benign speakeasy aunties. Apart from the progressive increase in liquor vending and bar licences to dizzy heights, there is also dynamic rise in excise duties – over 66% in the latest instance in Maharashtra. Many bars in Mumbai have closed down, or are in the process, with regular patrons shying away from licensed bars that have marked up prices nearly 100%. Such clients make a beeline to the speakeasies to imbibe cheap illicit liquor at great risk to their health and life.
 
Drinking will make a man quaff,
Quaffing will make a man sing,
Singing will make a man laugh,
And laughing long life doth bring,
So says old Simon the King.

This is referring to Simon Wadloe, tavern-keeper at the “Devil”, Fleet Street, London (circa1621).
 
There is also similar advice in respect to drinking and heaven. If you drink, you go to sleep; if you sleep, you don’t commit sin; if you don’t commit sin, you go to heaven. So, drink and got heaven. That was all under the licit liquor regime. Drinking was a social art. Not any more, with governments driving spirit-aspirants to bootleggers. The Maharashtra government confuses drinking with drunkards. Its application form for drinking licence translates “Applicant’s name” as “Sharabika naam” – “Drunkard’s name”!
 

John B Monteiro, author and journalist, is editor of his website www.welcometoreason.com (Interactive Cerebral Challenger) – provisioned for instant response.

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