The prohibition dilemma

Administrative action cannot remedy a social ill

The issue of prohibition is gaining unexpected momentum. From April 1, the sale of country liquor was stopped in Bihar, as promised by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar before the last Assembly elections in response to strong demands from some women voters. But Mr Kumar, on seeing the response and after considering feedback, has decided to also stop the sale of the costlier branded liquor known as IMFL (Indian-made foreign liquor), thus making Bihar completely dry. In Tamil Nadu, which will hold Assembly elections shortly, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, widely seen as resisting pressure from rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or DMK to announce a prohibition plan, has just fallen in line and promised to do so if re-elected. In Kerala, also headed for elections, the prohibition issue remains alive with the Supreme Court having upheld the state's policy of introducing total prohibition in 10 years, beginning with closing all bars other than in five-star hotels.

Yes, prohibition is an emotive electoral issue for poor rural women who see drunkenness severely undermining family welfare. Unfortunately, it appears that politicians are not willing to tell voters the plain fact that, in the post-Independence era, it has proved extremely difficult, if not impossible, to make prohibition work. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Mizoram have in the past tried and given up. Only Gujarat among large Indian states has been consistent on prohibition through its entire history. Tamil Nadu had till now resisted prohibition because it earns significant revenue from liquor sale, as does West Bengal. In fact, how Bihar weathers the shock of losing liquor sale revenue will be closely watched. Social anthropologist Ashis Nandy has in this newspaper offered a nuanced assessment of prohibition which can help guide policy along realistic lines. Total prohibition seldom works, but sustained discouragement of drinking can do enormous social good. The possible compromise between politics and pragmatism is to discourage drinking among the poor by making it difficult or expensive, but keeping the tax tap running, from selling to the better-off.

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Prohibition only in a few states also confronts them with the problem of interstate smuggling of liquor. Hence the Centre and the states should work out a national policy on alcohol sale and a goods and services tax should enable the states to benefit from family expenditure on liquor shifting to other kinds of consumption. Total prohibition is unlikely to work because it seeks to address a social issue through administrative action. A true long-term solution will be to conduct a campaign against alcoholism, the way drug addiction is dealt with through institutions like detoxification centres. Once the use of Aadhaar for the distribution of benefits becomes mainstream, paying a part of working men's wages to their wives might also be an answer to the social problem.