No food? Have liquor instead

Its so freely available in this UP village that even children take it

And the reason is the “home-made liquor,” which is often spurious and is available in lieu of food grain also.

Jaroda Jatt village, situated near Deoband — the seat of the renowned Islamic seminary —shot into limelight after several people died following consumption of spurious liquor recently.

Liquor, prepared at homes, is so freely available in this village that even children take to drinking. Ram Kumar, the village pradhan, says most deaths in the Dalit houses are either because of consumption of spurious liquor or owing to diseases caused by excessive drinking. He also admits that liquor is offered in lieu of food grain.

“Some people prefer to take liquor pouches for work instead of food grain,” Kumar said.

He said a majority of the victims of the hooch tragedy belonged to the Dalit community and were poor.

Deputy Inspector General of police P K Srivastava said around 50 per cent of women of the village were widows. “Their husbands had fallen prey either to spurious liquor or died of excessive drinking,” he said.

As many as 18 people have died in the past few days in Jaroda Jatt, Nanhera Asa and Khajuri villages at Saharanpur, about 500 km from here, in one of the worst hooch tragedies in the state.

According to police, over 30 others are battling for life in various hospitals.The entire staff of the Khasauli police station and the SHO of Deoband have been suspended by the administration following the tragedy.

Police sources say liquor manufacturing has become a sort of cottage industry in several villages in the district. Curiously, the excise department officials are allegedly hand in glove with the manufacturers, and they turn a blind eye to the existence of illicit liquor outlets. 

Interestingly, Miragpur village is barely 9 km from Jaroda Jatt. The residents of this village neither smoke nor consume liquor. According to them, their forefathers had been administered a pledge by a saint never to touch liquor or tobacco.