To have seen in medias that Bihar is the fourth state after Gujarat, Mizoram and NAGALAND to impose total ban on liquor is rhetorically amusing, not because of the B-G-M states or the other states joining the league but for the impractical Christian state making it in the list. When liquor prohibition is nursing its fractured wings visiting every hypothetical clinics, ie, NGOs, should the “No Tobacco” campaign cut the line making a queue along all unrealistic slogans, agitations, bandhs, strikes and the likes without any practical call of duty? Taking tobacco onstage, it is abusive of ourselves that a day is fixed to check paan shops for the matter, proclaiming “No Tobacco Day” and keep savouring the same by evening the same day.Tobacco, besides liquor, which is in tussle with NGOs and churches or any governmental agencies is an immigrant or import product which makes it much easier to eradicate if given effort by way of snipping from the bud, filtering from the channels through which these products reaches the retails. It is beyond remedial reach once it is all ready for consumers, that include volunteers and some church workers, just to pay and have it at will or in stealth, then the same people initiating movements to put a stop on it. For instance, Bihar delivered its stand on liquor by incurring crores of rupees from its revenue derived from liquor. Policy makers in our state, on issues like liquor or tobacco, should learn from them instead of doing scapegoat parody and dramatic raids. How can we not do it when the same are not produced from within our state? Allowing tobacco to flow in without any restrain after which trying to make people spit out the same is a game played with the wrong ball, sparing no choice.
One should not be surprised but appreciate the effort and success of Yikhum village, a few minutes ride from Wokha, banning sale of tobacco and liquor of any form under its jurisdiction, joining the ally of Tobacco and Liquor Free Villages. Crossing borders by self to get oneself inebriated is beyond the grasp of the law within. It is, therefore, expected of the trying mechanisms to get rid of the menace by the roots and not keep plucking the leaves sporadically expecting to impair the trunk overnight. And if tobacco be labeled as mouth refresher, there are too many to take marijuana to boost the mind.
Mhonthung J. Ngullie
Forest Colony, Wokha.
