A bottoms up ode to the long tradition of prohibition in Gujarat
Sylvester da Cunha(ToI)
Following the liquor tragedy in Ahmedabad, Mr Narendra Modi has sprung into action. He has formed the Gujarat Beverages Corporation (GBC) to urgently streamline the state’s prohibition policy. Top priority will be given to identifying the poisonous adulterants used in the distillation of hooch. So far the list includes boot polish, wood varnish, paint thinners, battery acid and other industrial products.
The GBC will call upon the manufacturers to make these chemicals fit for human consumption. Their supply will then be channelised through ration shops and made available at subsidised prices to those below the poverty line. Purchasers will be required to prove that they are deserving addicts by producing a certificate from a doctor, priest or bar tender.
Makers of the concerned products will henceforth have to register under the new Adulterants Quality Act. They will be subject to a new Nutrition Tax levied at 76.5% ad valorem. Quotas will be reserved for shoe polish addicts, wood varnish abusers, paint-thinner junkies and other scheduled categories.
The imposition of Prohibition is said to deprive the state of around Rs 3,000 crore annually. But this is not totally lost to the economy. Haftas and bribes extorted by the police and excise authorities have merely diverted most of the funds from government coffers to private pockets. Classical economists describe this as a ‘Transfer of Wealth’—a desirable process in a democratic society. To enhance state revenue therefore GBC will propose a steep increase in police raids, excise harassment, stop-andsearch arrests.
To study the social effects of Prohibition in other countries, a plan to visit Saudi Arabia was contemplated but later shelved. “Cutting off offenders’ ears and hands may be too advanced a deterrent for Gujarat, just as yet.’’ The United States has been selected as a country worthy of study. An earlier government visit had praised Prohibition for having promoted many cultural forms there. Dance had
thrived, particularly the Quickstep and Charleston. So had music with jazz, swing and Italian opera (the latter popular with the Mafia.) Literature too had flourished during this time (My 10 Years in the Pen, author unknown).
Vijay Mallya has been openly criticising Gujarat’s Prohibition policy, describing it as totally out of date. In a bid to quieten him, government will allow the launching of his drinks in the state. His well-known brands of whiskies and brandies will be freely available, albeit in a non-alcoholic form. Their sale is expected to be phenomenal, but not due to Gujaratis en masse taking the pledge. Rather it would be the result of smugglers using the ‘virgin’ liquor to dilute the potent versions, secreted into the state.
As a further sop, Kingfisher Airlines will be allowed to operate from all Gujarat’s major cities to London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Blackpool, Wolverhampton, and 123 other destinations around the world. The flights will be called the Patel Special flying on Mondays, the Shah Stream on Tuesday, the Desai Dart on Wednesday, and the Modi Meteors on every other day of the week.
All this is expected to trigger a huge shift of passengers from Air India. The national airlines is already in the red, and Kingfisher’s move will further colour its balance sheet. Mr Praful Patel may now be invited to accept the post of Chairman, Kingfisher Red.
