Nagaland Baptist Church Council on total prohibition of liquor

INTRODUCTION
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) would like to respond to the queries of the general public and the arguments of certain civil societies and individuals in the light of the present debate on the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition Act 1989(NLTP). The Prohibition Movement was launched in 1974 spearheaded by the Church, Women and Youth organizations. As a result, Mon District was declared Dry in 1988, Mokokchung District Dry declaration was in January 1989, and Nagaland Dry State was declared in June 1989.
FOUNDATION
The Bible warns of alcohol; Constitution of India enshrines prohibition of alcohol (Article 47). Accordingly Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition Act 1989 was enacted by the State Government.
NBCC’s RESPONSE:Some people are of the opinion:-
1. That the Act is a total failure.
2. That the Government is losing revenue.
3. That there has been an upsurge in the usage of illegal drugs in the state because the sale and consumption of liquor has been prohibited, and which is assumed to have led to the AIDS epidemic in the state.
4. That individual freedom/choice should be given.
The NBCC would like to refute the veracity of the above statements and to assert that the Prohibition Act is good for our people, as may be observed from the following arguments.
1. ON THE QUESTION THAT THE ACT IS A TOTAL FAILURE.
a. The Act has been a partial failure not because it is a wrong Act, but because it has not been implemented in letter and in spirit. Therefore, NBCC has appealed to the State Government time and again to implement the Act by providing all the needed support to the department concerned and the Law enforcing agencies.
b. We would like to state that if it is determined to, the Government can in a short stipulated time see that most bootlegging in the state is stopped. The law enforcing agencies know almost every major bootleggers and outlets. Non implementation of the Act in letter and spirit makes us come to the conclusion that many in the system benefit from this trade.
c. We would like to point out that many times the lawmakers become lawbreakers and different agencies are made to be involved in making a mockery of the system.
d. We would like to state that the Act is not a total failure.
– Both Excise Department and Police sources agree that with the Prohibition in force, crime rates and road accidents have decreased, general law and order improved, more peace and tranquility prevails at night, regular fights in families or in our streets reduced and women feel safer now than it was prior to prohibition days. Moreover, our young boys and girls have performed better in their studies and feel secured due to family integration.
– Any Doctor in Nagaland, particularly the Medical Superintendents of any Civil Hospital can prove that accidents and diseases related to Alcohol consumption in the state has drastically been reduced after the Act.
– Village and town authorities and honest Excise and Police officials are enforcing the law with considerable success.
e. Any failure in the past reflects the level of non-performance which should not be the guiding principle nor the basis for a decision that is going to have far-reaching effect on many more generations to come. We must look beyond the present.
2. ON THE QUESTION THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS LOSING REVENUE
It has come to our knowledge that the Government is losing about 10-30 crores rupees per year because of the Prohibition Act.
a. We would like to apprise our Government that in countries where studies were performed to see if Government really gained or lost revenue because they allowed Alcohol and tobacco to be sold. They were surprised by the fact that these Governments had lost much because it wanted some revenue. We would like to quote two studies to support this fact.
i) The Government of France in a study showed that the revenues earned by allowing alcoholic beverages were 53 billion francs. In contrast, 132 billion francs were spent in trying to pay for damages alcoholism produced on the country. Further the loss of productivity caused by alcoholism was estimated at 325 billion francs. That year the government of France lost more than 400 billion francs because it wanted to gain 53 billion francs in revenue.
ii) Closer home, research in tobacco revenues has revealed that the Indian Government received Rs.1551 crores in a year. That same year the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) estimated that the cost of treating cancer patients alone, arising from the abuse of tobacco was around Rs.2365 crores annually. In addition Rs.3000 crores will be lost from disability and inefficiency caused by tobacco consumption. (The Hindustan times, Nov.’95). Apparently, governments all over the world are “penny wise and pound foolish”.
b. The NBCC would, in all humbleness like to convey that other avenues of earning income have not been properly explored by the government in the past. We would like to cite one example for the government to contemplate on.
i) We estimate that in a day around 5 crores worth on consumer goods are sold in the state. If proper taxation of those goods are enforced the government would get almost 8% of this amount i.e. Rs.40 Lacs in a day. In one year the government would garner revenues close to Rs.125 crores just by proper taxation. Compared to this Rs.10-30 crores of revenue that is not added due to liquor prohibition to the state treasury is a very small figure.
ii) How can any government really count the cost of what drugs, tobacco and alcohol abuse has done to our society in terms of money and revenue lost; lives lost from suicides, homicides, accidents, overdose, broken families, abused wives and children, lost jobs and shattered dreams?
iii) Responsible governance, proper utilization of funds and emphasis on transparency will be what saves the state from financial bankruptcy.
iv) People are well aware that it is corruption at every level in our state that has resulted in the sad financial state, but not because of revenue loss through prohibition.
3. THAT THE ACT HAS LED TO AN INCREASE OF DRUG ABUSE AND HIV/AIDS.
On the question that the prohibition had led to an increase of drug abuse and HIV/AIDS is not based on facts.
a. That the state has been badly affected by drugs is a fact we agree with. However the argument that it is because of the prohibition of Alcohol, although very convincing and the conclusion of most people, is not supported by scientific fact.
b. Nagaland, like the rest of the world has been caught in the pandemic of drug abuse. It has touched every country, community and people on the planet.
c. In countries where free sale of alcohol is allowed, the rates of drug abuse have never been lower. Examples are the free western European countries and America.
d. 12 to 20 million Americans are regular users of marijuana, 20 to 25% of all High school students have made marijuana an accepted way of life, 6 to 8 million are hooked on to cocaine and heroin. An un-estimated number running into millions are on to amphetamines. This is happening in countries where alcohol is freely sold and society is more ordered.
e. Tamil Nadu State was the highest number of HIV/AIDS patients in India. This was happening in a state where the sale of liquor is free and legalized. In no country free sale of alcohol has brought the rates of drug abuse down. We agree that AIDS poses a serious danger to our society. We also agree that it was drug abuse and HIV mainlining and sharing of syringe and needles that was responsible for the initial spread of AIDS in our society. However, every study has shown that this is the regular pattern of spread in any community. Later after the initial stage the main means of spread is sexual promiscuity in any society. Do not blame the spread of HIV/AIDS on our society on prohibition of Alcohol in the state. Today the main cause of spread of HIV/AIDS is the low moral lifestyle of our people not prohibition. In fact in lifting of prohibition the spread would be faster.
4. THAT INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM/CHOICE SHOULD BE GIVEN:
1. No Government can exist without the enactment of law; otherwise there will be disorder and chaos. Laws are made for the betterment of every individual and the people as a whole. So the Government has the right to enact law to protect its citizens.
2. In countries like Malaysia and Singapore death penalty is given to the drug users and traffickers. Why such a law? Because of this law, these countries are free from drug abuses and related problems. Undoubtedly, such law is helping the people and the governments to maintain peace and tranquility in the land.
3. We have in our State and country (also everywhere in the world) restrictions for smoking in offices and public places. Why? Is it not because of the health hazard it causes to the general public? What will be the consequences if the individual’s freedom is exercised in such case and let everyone do as he/she likes? We believe that the law is necessary for the good of the people as a whole. The individuals who are restrained from such a freedom are also benefitted.
4. Some sections of the society in our State argue saying that other advanced countries do not have such a law and so why should we have this Prohibition Act? One should remember that those countries have thousand years of civilization and more than two hundred years of independence. They know what to do, how to behave and where they are going. In our State, out of approximately a population of 2 million, less than 1% will fall within the so called “elite” group and even the employed population will fall within 5% or less. So more than 95% of our people are common people who should be protected by the Government and the leaders of our societies from such destructive substance. Every right thinking leader must think for the welfare of these common people. Therefore, in this matter individual freedom or privilege is subject to the law of the land.
5. When we talk about individual’s freedom, it is about doing good to ourselves and to others but not otherwise. Can the Government and Societies grant freedom to individuals to kill anybody? The use and sale of alcohol are destructive for the people and so the Prohibition Act is to protect the people from this destruction.
NBCC’s STAND
1. The Nagaland Liquor Total prohibition Act has been passed by the State Government as per the provision of the Constitution of India for the interest and welfare of the people in order to safeguard public health, public morality and public peace. Liquor Prohibition is one of the few brakes that is keeping our moral standard and social fabric intact to some extent.
2. The NBCC would like to state that we know the mentality and nature of our people. The behavior of our people during the general elections portrays how immature and corrupt our people have become leading to moral degradation of our society in general. Many people around the world also drink, however, they know the limit and there is not much overt wanton acts of drunkenness. Our people in general have no discipline, we respect no authority. We have no limits. Lifting of prohibition would amount to complete madness and detrimental to the well being of our society which is already reeling under many social upheavals at present. Although this prohibition is short of perfection the general well being of our society, particularly for the weaker sections of societies including women and children is safeguarded.
3. The Church as the moral voice of the State would like to affirm that we are against lifting of prohibition which is detrimental for our people; we won’t allow it to destroy the already fragile social fabric of our society. Most of the root causes of evils, accidents, crimes, lawlessness and corruptions are found in alcoholism in our society. Precious souls, promising youth and the cream of our society will be wiped out in no time and our streets will be unsafe by multiplying brawling drunkards and other violent elements if prohibition is lifted. We feel that the issue of lifting the Prohibition Act will bring further division and destruction in an already morally corrupted society.
4. The NBCC would like to highlight the fact that at the centre there are moves to ban liquor and tobacco products at the national level. We are happy and proud of our State Government’s decision of prohibition that had preceded the national awareness. Then why are we at the state level opposing the prohibition law which although imperfectly implemented has done much in improving the general well being of our society?
In conclusion we would like to state that the Government of Nagaland had already committed to uphold the prohibition in the past. NBCC appeals to the Government to strengthen its position by amending the loopholes in the NLTP Act 1989 instead of lifting. The NBCC will remain committed to uphold the Prohibition for the general well being of the people of the state. May the Lord Almighty protect and bless the people of Nagaland.
Nagaland Baptist Church Council