Gujarat has been dry for almost 6 decades. It has now tightened up its prohibition policy even more for locals while it has been relaxed for tourists. That is obviously to augment foreign exchange coming from visitors. According to the new directive, locals can be jailed and asked to pay a fine of Rs 5 lakh if caught with a bottle. Tourists on the other hand can walk into a liquor shop and buy a bottle after proving their credentials. They can get an online permit for drinking also. The policy in Gujarat has been tourist friendly in the last few years of Narendra Modi’s tenure as Chief Minister and the policy trend continued. The present government faces assembly elections next year. OBCs and Patidars are two major vote banks and they have put pressure on the government to make dry laws tougher. In India, prohibition is an issue often used to propitiate a section of voters. In the past, prohibition in Ahmedabad led to bootlegging. One issue against prohibition is the financial loss of those in the trade. People from Gujarat drive to Mount Abu, Daman and Diu to have a good time at weekends. As a result, the adjoining states rake in the moolah. Bihar’s prohibition has also led to such holiday jaunts outside.
One argument for prohibition is the gender violence it causes. Research proves that heavy alcohol consumption is linked to violence against women. But in India the political response to prohibition has never been holistic. A parallel black market is always allowed to thrive. The recent SC ban on liquor on highways is altogether welcome as road deaths have assumed alarming proportions.