The Chief Minister
of Kerala Oommen Chandy has stunned all by coming out with a unanimous decision
for a liquor ban in the state to achieve total prohibition. All the bars and
Bevco outlets will be closed and after 10 ten years Kerala will be a liquor
free state.
Nevertheless,
a period of 10 years is not a short span of time. A huge amount of water will flow
through the Vembanadu Lake. Likewise a huge amount of illicit liquor will flow
to Kerala from outside. The CM may go and the UDF coalition may change and what
will happen then is far beyond one’s reckon.
Prohibition is
good in the larger public interest. It will prevent the ruin of the uneducated.
But will the government take necessary steps to prevent illegal flow. The bootlegging
and corruption will increase. Tourism will get affected as many Keralites
themselves will go to neighbouring states in large numbers, some people even on
daily basis for recreation. It will be interesting to see how the government
tackles these types of problems. A total ban will only encourage black market
and mafia nexus and will worsen the situation. The rationale behind the present
liquor ban doesn't look moral but more political.
History will
get repeated. There was a time when AP, Haryana and Rajasthan were declared dry
but that ban only gave a big rise to black marketing. If not controlled firmly there
will be huge flow of illicit liquor from other states to Kerala, the
beneficiaries of it will be some unscrupulous politicians belonging to what we
call UDF, LDF or NDA.
K A Solaman
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