Thaindian News

By Asit Srivastava
Saharanpur, Nov 11 (IANS) They are not asking people to stop drinking, but insisting that villagers buy alcohol from licensed shops. They are drinkers who are wiser after spurious liquor claimed at least 30 lives in their district in Uttar Pradesh.

Nearly 100 drinkers from about a dozen villages in Saharanpur district, some 350 km from Lucknow, have floated an organisation - Bhartiya Sharabi Union (BSU) - to fight illicit liquor trade.

The formation of BSU has come after nearly 30 people in various villages in Saharanpur died in the last two months after consuming spurious liquor.

“The tragedy prompted us to move into action and shoulder our social responsibility. Last week drinkers of different villages held a meeting in Behat town in Saharanpur and constituted BSU with an aim to campaign against illicit liquor,” Harvinder Rana, a BSU member who owns a cloth shop in Manjhipur village, told IANS.

“Having witnessed the tragic death of a number of villagers in the last two months and the present situation of the deceased family members, we have realised how precious one’s life is…We will make every effort to check the consumption of spurious liquor,” he added.

As part of the campaign, BSU members can be seen moving in groups, interacting with villagers to sensitise them about the ill effects of spurious liquor. Illicit liquor is consumed by villagers as the price is a lot cheaper.

“Our foremost objective is to dissuade villagers from buying illicit liquor. As we also consume liquor we know very well what addiction is. So during our awareness campaign, we do not ask villagers to give up drinking. Instead, we emphasise on purchasing liquor only from a licensed shop,” said Braj Sohal, 45, another BSU member and resident of Rawasali village.

“We also stage street plays and distribute handmade bills to make villagers aware about spurious liquor that is often poisonous,” he added.

Traditionally, spurious liquor is made by using jaggery, alum, ammonium chloride and a choice of essence for a good flavour. When instead of the traditional ethyl alcohol, methanol is used to add punch to the brew, it turns deadly.

BSU members say they can even help expose illicit liquor rackets.

“We are ready to extend help to excise officials or police to check the illegal trade. But in that case we need to have protection from police as exposing those in the illegal trade is quite a risky job,” said Rajendra Nagian, 52, a BSU member, who runs a grocery shop in Nagla Khurd village in Saharanpur.

(Asit Srivastava can be contacted at asit.s@ians.in)