Day 484

 

Well, today I thought that I have to be absent from posting any post. Actually, I wasn’t having any topic in my mind to write today. So, I was in frustration. I was going through news channels. Suddenly, a news article caught my attention. It was a part of speech which Mr Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar, gave yesterday in the Bihar Legislative Council. Mr Kumar was saying that if a person, who is still consuming alcohol is not an Indian. Along with that Mr Kumar has called such persons as a great sinner and most irresponsible person.

Actually, Mr Kumar made an anti-alcohol rule in Bihar which came in effect from 1^st April,2016. Actually, this rule was made to fulfil Mr Kumar’s political promises which he had done during the Bihar assembly elections in 2015. To get maximum number of seats to form the government, he wanted his maximum candidates to win the election. For this he made political promise that he will ban alcohol in entire Bihar if he forms the government again. He won the election and after formation of the government, he fulfilled his political promise. Although, nobody was expecting him to take this decision because everyone was thinking that he won’t fulfil his political promise. But he did it without seeing its far fetch consequences.

Now since the ban of alcohol in Bihar, till date, not a single day has passed when we haven’t heard about the news of alcohol being found in different parts of the state. Trucks, lorries and other vehicles are being caught and seized by the Bihar police in cooperation of Excise Department of Bihar Government. But still, ban on alcohol hasn’t been 100% successful. Bulk of alcohol consignment is seized and arrests have also been made. Many alcohol smugglers have been arrested and put in the court. Then also, the supply is still on. I don’t understand that how the alcohol loaded vehicles are entering the state. How the excise department at the border isn’t able to seize those vehicles at the border itself? Why the vehicles are been seized when they have entered the state? I think Mr Nitish Kumar should investigate this first before making any statement.

Mr Nitish Kumar gave strict orders that the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police will be answerable for their districts. If any amount of alcohol is been seized in any district, then District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police will have to explain about the entry of alcohol in their district. If possible then they would be transferred from their posts. so, Mr Nitish Kumar should himself resign from his post because as a Chief Minister, he had failed to block the entry of liquor in his state. Actually, initially, there was a clause in the anti-liquor bill that if anyone or group of people are being caught consuming liquor then the whole house will be sealed and the family members have to vacant the premises. Now, which type of law is this? In my view, it’s a barbaric law in modern age.

Actually, I think Mr Nitish Kumar has made this law in very much hurry. He just wanted to prove that he is man of his words. Well, this is a very rare phenomenon in Indian politics where a politician really sticks to his or her words. Otherwise, we have a long list of politicians who have said something but later on they have taken U turn from their statements. How can we forget Mr Arvind Kejriwal, who used to vow on his children’s head that he won’t have coalition with either Congress or BJP? But after election, he went to both parties for coalition. Before formation of Jharkhand from Bihar, Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav, gave a statement that Jharkhand will be formed over his dead body. Jharkhand has celebrated its 21^st foundation day in November 2021 and Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav is still alive. May God give him a long and healthy life. I was just saying that politicians always take U turn from their statements and later on they say that their previous statement was presented in wrong angle. Well, that’s not an issue with me because there is a long history where politicians have taken U turn. Today, I’m not writing on that topic.

Well, its true that officially Bihar is now a dry state but unofficially liquor is available at higher price. Actually, these days, instead of nabbing criminals, police are busy in arresting those who have consumed alcohol or are involved in manufacturing and distribution. Recently, Mr Nitish Kumar got a severe comment from Supreme Court. Supreme Court was really angry with the anti-liquor law because it was formulated in hurry without knowing its long affect on the courts also. Frankly speaking, there are 23 judges in Patna High Court but 16 judges were busy in executing cases related to liquor laws. So, there had again been amendments in the anti-liquor law. But I don’t think that it will have any affect.

Since the enforcement of the anti-liquor law, there is loss of revenue to state exchequer. But still, liquor is available in black market. So, whose profit is this? State exchequer or black marketers? What other steps Mr Nitish Kumar took for getting revenue to the state exchequer in lieu of liquor? Why still no companies are interested in opening their production units in Bihar? What measures Mr Nitish Kumar is taking to promote tourism in Bihar? Actually, with the ban of liquor in Bihar, the tourism industry also got a huge impact due to this. Well, I think if Mr Nitish Kumar had made a complete roadmap before imposing ban on liquor, then it would have been more beneficiary for the state exchequer.