The ban on liquor is ideally taking a toll in all aspects including social, economical on the citizens of Bihar. While the ‘banned’ alcoholic substance is made available easily by ‘peddlers’ in form of women and children, what is worrying the elderly generation of the State is the proliferation of drugs in form of gaanja, cocaine, heroin and other psychotropic substances.
Beggars too are involved in transportation of liquor to in the dry State of Bihar.
What the concerned people term “sukha nasha” has penetrated deeply in villages, rural areas, towns and cities and youths particularly teenagers, college students, daily wagers are hooked to these illegal intoxicating agents taking a toll on the future of Bihar once known as land of Buddha and Mahavira.
The liquor ban which came into force almost seven years ago is ruining the health of youths and economy since all kinds of brands are “smuggled” from neighbouring Nepal, Assam, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand.
Lallan Mahota, a resident of Bihiya in Patna, when asked about what is the major concern in the ensuing general elections, expressed dismay over the precarious situation bothering majority of the household in the State.
“Sukha Nasha ghus chuka hai Sir. Sharab bund ho gaya lekin youth tarah tarah ke drugs le rahe hain. Yahan har varg ke log ko inka naam bhi pata ho gaya jo Bihar mein jaanta bhi nahi tha. Sarkarein soyi hai,” Mahto said. He meant to say drugs which the people of Bihar never knew are conveniently available while the Government is in deep slumber.
As far as liquor ban is concerned, Faraz, from Nathnagar in Bhagalpur, said the ban is only on paper and administration while anyone desires to consume liquor they get it delivered. The modus operandi is more vulnerable.
“Alcohol is supplied by using kids in their school bags or women folks worth Rs 100-Rs 200 as delivery charge as there can be no needle of suspicion on them. People from poor background are more into this and what will shock you is that those involved in this illegal supply chain of liquor have become lakhapatis (millionaires). Any kind of brand is available twice its original price and hence the ‘traders’ have built homes of marble,” Faraz said and also took this journalist to show one of the duplex (though unverifiable) that was built in two years time by a person who was into manihari (cosmetic hawker).
Unfortunately and interestingly, those who cannot afford such expensive liquor or drugs get intoxicated by use of tertiary forms like cough syrups, nail polish spirits, shoe lotions, thinner, diluter and many more.
In most of the cities, including Muzzafarpur, Darbhanga, Purnea, Katihar the above mentioned daily use items are difficult to find as they are considered for use of minor hallucinations.
The use of shoe lotions or spirit is rampant and these are used by young people by rolling the open can of shoe lotion in a piece of cloth like handkerchief or dhoti and then inhaled for intoxicate self.
The family which are prone to above mentioned issues are now talking openly about their wards involvement either in liquor peddling for want of money or their wards being prey to use of the sukha nasha. “My 21-year-old son is on gaanja dosage. I took him to rehabilitation centre in Phulwari near Patna even. He is still into it and when taken to task he threatens to harm himself. I have no option but have urged my son to take only two times a day. I have also given him a tea stall to keep him engaged. He supports his gaanja intake by liquor peddling in a bag of a leading coaching institute in Patna city,” explained Vishnu Yadav, a hamlet near Malighat Chowk in Muzzafarpur.
Vishnu remarked that the entire State machinery, political parties and their leaders including the current contestants on Lok Sabha elections are aware this kind of liquor and drugs mechanism in the State but they do not pay heed and majority of the families are under this influence in some of their either way.
Despite of prohibition implemented the State is facing hooch tragedies like reported in recent times from Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Bettiah, Samastipur, Vaishali, Nawada and even Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s home district Nalanda.
The Nitish-led Bihar Government oscillating between the BJP-led NDA-alliance and the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan has been facing a barrage of criticism from the Opposition ranks of the time over poor implementation of the liquor ban in the State.
The liquor ban was enforced in Bihar in April 2016 when Nitish took over as the CM with the support of the RJD and the Congress a move that was appreciated for couple of years.
