Vishü Rita Krocha
Within a month, at least 19 alcohol-related deaths were reported in Nagaland—a state that has been infamously known for its Liquor Total Prohibition Act, 1989.
But this is definitely not the first time that the state has lost a loved one to alcohol. Over the past several decades, numerous lives were lost although they were never officially recorded.
Most homes in Nagaland are familiar with alcohol abuse. Every family, perhaps excepting a very few lucky ones, is accustomed to having a family member, a cousin, a relative, an uncle, a father, a husband, a brother, or a friend who is an alcoholic.
Many families have been torn apart, many relationships ruined, many careers destroyed, many lives without a purpose, all because of one's dependence on alcohol. And the irony of it all is that these are all unfolding right before our eyes with an Act that is supposedly meant to better the lives of our people.
The Liquor Total Prohibition Act in Nagaland, as everybody knows is a total joke. While the Act is supposed to put a complete ban on manufacturing, selling, or consumption of alcohol, we have numerous shops and hotels openly selling it everywhere across the districts of Nagaland and who is keeping a check on it?
Apart from the occasional seized Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) being destroyed, there has never been a strict implementation of the Act. The occasional public destruction of IMFL is just another grand display that is neither helpful nor meaningful.
Years and decades of total failure of implementation of the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition Act (NLTP), 1989, and it would be stupid to still think that it would work.
There is no denying that alcohol consumption poses significant health risks and is one of the leading causes of preventable death worldwide. But how is having an Act that exists only on paper helping the state and its citizens to lead healthier, better lives?
If anybody has benefitted from the Act, it's probably only the alcohol black market while the poor public continue to shell out outrageous amount of money for it.
Drinking largely remains a personal choice. True, it could be influenced by friends and society at large but at the end of the day, it remains a personal choice. Whether the NLTP exists or not, those who drink will continue to drink anyway.
The stance of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) is well understood. It is a shared concern. Every home and family wishes that their alcoholic loved one would quit. But then again, isn't the NLTP Act doing more harm than good?
Instead of banning alcohol, the state government should focus its energy on regulating sales, promoting responsible drinking, and educating the public about the risks of alcohol abuse.
This is a guest editorial by Vishü Rita Krocha. She is the Publisher of PenThrill Publication and a senior journalist based in Kohima.
