Other States - Orissa

Anti-liquor lobby gaining strength in Choudwar

CUTTACK: What started as a token opposition by a handful of women to the drinking habit of men folk in their families has now taken the shape of a ‘crusade’ with more than 15,000 women of Tangi-Choudwar block forming a strong anti-liquor lobby.

Women of about 70 villages have come together to launch a movement in industrial township of Choudwar and its vicinity. “It all started as an opposition to the men in families who spend their entire day’s earning at liquor joints. Soon the pressure group gained strength and found itself waging a war against the powerful liquor mafias”, says All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) State secretary Pushpanjali Das, who is spearheading the movement.

The anti-liquor lobby has now become so powerful that the district administration is thinking of giving police powers to some selected members of it. Appreciating the steps, the administration has realised that police power is essential for the group as they are facing certain challenges from the mafias.

“In fact the administration had taken a policy decision in this regard a few years ago. But due to certain technical problems, the same did not materialise. We hope, the administration would now accord us the privilege”, Das hoped.

The present crusade began with an unfortunate anecdote about five years ago. Marriage of a local girl reportedly failed as the relatives of the groom refused to take the bride as they were peeved over the uncultured behaviour of the men in the village who in an inebriated condition used filthy and choicest idiolect, says a member of AIDWA.

Before anyone could fathom the gravity of the development, women members of the village sensing more such troubles ahead, took up cudgels against the drinking habits of their men folk. The movement received instant success as upbringing of most families rested on income of women since men spent their entire earnings of the day at liquor joints.

Das attributes the success of the movement to be the outcome of sufferings the women faced all these days from the hands of their husbands who under the influence of liquor continued to ruin the socio-economic condition of the locality. She blames both police and excise sleuths equally for the present plight. The nexus between politicians, officials and liquor traders are responsible for ruining the rural economy which had started to flourish after the women members came forward to supplement the family income, she adds.

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