Poll day: Women in these N-K villages live Bapu's dream

While the aspiring lawmakers are bracing themselves for the poll results, four villages in Raichur district are proud about the victory they scripted on polling day.

On April 23, residents of Gonhal, Gunda, Devaragudi and Yadlapur, sat on a dharna in front of the polling booth with one demand: stop sale of unlicensed liquor in the villages.

Spirited fight

After the historic march in January demanding a complete ban on liquor in the state, which saw the participation of thousands of women and the entire state supporting them, was undermined by the government, the unrelenting grassroots leaders had decided to build a social resistance.

Members of Grameena Kooli Karmikara Sanghatane and Rajya Mahila Okkoota, two key organisations of the Madya Nishedha Andolan, a movement for the statewide ban on alcohol, used the elections as a tool to mount pressure on the officials to lock up unlicensed liquor outlets.

In Raichur, a majority of people in 18 villages opted for NOTA, while six villages decided not to cast their votes till their demands were met.

Men’s support

“We held several meetings before taking this decision, which was unanimous. Even men actively supported us. They also want to be out of this deadly spiral,” said Meenakshamma, a GP member in Yadlapur.

“We were tolerant, blaming our fate when the men in the village turned alcoholic and neglected responsibilities. But when liquor started ruining the life of our teenaged children, we had to act immediately.”

Villagers say that the excise department officials and the tahsildar responded immediately to their demand and raided all illegal liquor sale points. In the afternoon, the entire village voted. The strategy yielded results in four of the six villages. Two villages in Bagalkot also used the same approach to stop illegal alcohol sale.

In the last decade, the state’s excise revenue has seen a huge jump, from Rs 3,414 crore in 2005 to Rs 19,943 crore in 2018. This year, the target is Rs 20,950 crore. The stress on more revenue generation has resulted in the proliferation of unlicensed alcohol outlets, with even grocery shops and tea stalls selling liquor discretely.

“While people’s productivity has gone down considerably, abuse has made life difficult, particularly women,” says Abhay Kumar, an activist. A study by Nimhans said social costs of alcoholism far exceeds the revenue generated from alcohol.

It’s been a month after the polls and residents have ensured liquor is not sold in these villages. The women have pledged to follow the Gandhian philosophy of non-violent resistance.