As the election nears, political positions on prohibition are shifting.
Some call it an "unmitigated disaster". Others want it reviewed and revised. A minority believes it should be scrapped altogether, arguing it simply hasn't worked.
But the ruling Janata Dal-United) is unambiguous: Elections or not, the policy of prohibition in Bihar will not be rolled back.
Assembly polls in the state are due in October-November this year.
"There is no question. We are committed to it. We know how it has transformed the lives of women in Bihar. The effect of this change might not be visible in Patna and Delhi. But violence against women is conspicuously down in Bihar's rural areas," JD-U Working President Sanjay Jha, also a member of the Rajya Sabha, told Business Standard over the phone from Seoul, where he was leading a multi-party delegation after Operation Sindoor.
"Yes, we are losing revenue because of this policy. But so what? Doesn't the government exist to make the lives of citizens better?" asked Jha.
"Throughout his tenure, Nitishji (Chief Minister Nitish Kumar) has tried to empower women in Bihar. We will never let them down."
His alliance partners are less sanguine.
Former Union minister and former Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Ara R K Singh veered away from the party line during a public meeting in Bhojpur a few weeks ago, calling on Nitish Kumar to comprehensively review the decision on the liquor ban, widely believed to be the core reason for the loss of 2,000 lives since its imposition.
'Prohibition has failed to serve its purpose in Bihar. It is better to abolish it through proper means,' Singh said.
'The reality is that prohibition is only on paper. Had there been good management, prohibition would have been successful in Bihar. A large section of people is involved in the sale of illicit alcohol.'
Singh, a former IAS officer, stopped short of stating outright that Bihar lacks the administrative capacity to enforce prohibition.
His party did not contradict him directly, instead targeted Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav and others seeking a review of the policy, pointing to the Yadav family's past investments in the liquor trade.
When it was implemented in 2016, prohibition had bipartisan support in Bihar.
At the time, the RJD was in alliance with the JD-U, and Yadav supported Kumar, agreeing the policy would increase women's household income and reduce domestic violence stemming from alcohol abuse.
Then in Opposition, the BJP had little to counter this -- until the proliferation of illicit liquor began causing hundreds of deaths across the state.
The worst incident took place in Chapra in 2022, when 65 people died after consuming liquor that contained 80 per cent methyl alcohol and industrial spirit.
"The hospital could not accommodate them; in the compound you could only hear the wailing of family members. Many lost their eyesight. Some didn't make it to the hospital and died in their village," an IAS officer who witnessed the scene told Business Standard.
The BJP then demanded strict action against the so-called 'liquor mafia'.
More incidents of deaths from spurious liquor have been reported since then. While some stem from illegal stills producing toxic country liquor, methyl alcohol has remained the deadliest ingredient.
In October last year, around Diwali, more than 20 people died in Siwan and Saran districts.
As the election nears, political positions on prohibition are shifting.
Last fortnight, Bihar Tourism Minister Raju Singh proposed policy tweaks aimed at reviving tourism and the state's hotel industry -- though he clarified that any change would have to be made by the cabinet.
The RJD's Yadav announced that, if elected, his government would revoke the ban on toddy and formally recognise it as an industry.
The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas Paswan), led by Chirag Paswan, has thrown its weight behind this.
The reason is clear: For Dalit communities such as the Pasi and Musahar castes, brewing country liquor from mahua flowers and tapping toddy are long-standing sources of livelihood. However, illegal stills can be lethal.
One fact is undeniable -- prohibition has led to a significant revenue loss for Bihar.
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India, in a report published in 2018, stated that the state's revenue dropped by Rs 1,490 crore (Rs 14.90 billion) in 2016-2017, primarily due to the liquor ban.
Meanwhile, spending by the state excise department nearly doubled that year, from Rs 49 crore (Rs 490 million) in 2015-2016 to Rs 91 crore (Rs 910 million), owing to the costs of enforcing the policy.
Direct investment also took a hit. During his first term as chief minister in 2005, Kumar had promised to liberalise liquor trade to boost revenue.
The result was an eightfold increase in excise receipts, from Rs 500 crore (Rs 5 billion) to Rs 4,000 crore (Rs 40 billion).
British businessman and Cobra beer owner Karan Bilimoria established a distillery in Bihta and announced plans, in partnership with international beer brand Molson Coors, to set up 10 more units in Bihar, supporting barley production in the state.
But after 2016, according to sources close to him quoted in Business Standard, the state government would not even permit him to repurpose the Bihta facility to produce fruit juice.
In Konar, 12 km from Sasaram, where prohibition activism first gained traction in 2013, little appears to have changed.
NGOs report that alcohol addiction remains a serious concern, particularly for women. Political figures such as Prashant Kishore have therefore vowed that, if elected, their government would scrap prohibition 'within one hour', describing its implementation as a public health hazard.
The prohibition law in Bihar is severe. If found in violation, entire families can be jailed.
Between April 2016 and August 2024, 843,000 cases were registered and 1.279 million people arrested, according to figures from the Department of Excise.
"There will be no U-turn," Sanjay Jha reiterated, amid unconfirmed reports that the policy might be reviewed for certain categories of alcohol.
Regardless, prohibition is likely to emerge as a key issue in the upcoming election campaign.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
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