Rajya Sabha MP Biswajit Daimary urges Govt to legalize indigenous peoples’ liquors

Guwahati, February 24, 2019:

As the death toll continues to rise in the hooch tragedy in Assam, the Government has started a crackdown in the state and many ‘sulai’ selling establishments have come under the direct fire of authorities in the state.

Rajya Sabha MP Biswajit Daimary offered his two cents on the situation in a discussion with InsideNE. “It is rather unfortunate and alcohol has its side-effects and ‘sulai’ has its benefits as well as harms. But what happened in Assam is an accident and it is not the first time that people have consumed hooch. I believe the stuff that was concocted was impure and made with battery acid.”

Daimary came to the defense of the indigenous communities who make local liquor and stated that banning these substances outright is not the solution. “The tribal communities make indigenous liquor and it has never been known to harm anyone. People can consume it and it can be preserved for many years”, he added.

The Rajya Sabha MP also lamented the lack of knowledge regarding local liquors and stated that basic education cannot enlighten a person regarding the phenomenon of liquor-making. “The traditional liquor is made with rice”, he stated. He further slammed the Excise Department for giving licenses to concoct local liquor, while indigenous communities are being prohibited from making traditional liquor. He further slammed the ministers for their lack of knowledge regarding liquor and greed in allowing outside bodies to set up liquor-selling syndicates in the state.

“Because of these hurdles, liquors are being made with spirits. Lives cannot be saved by making a hue-and-cry over these issues”, he stated.

“The authorities are letting chemical alcohol to be sold; licenses are being given, solely for generating revenue. The Assamese indigenous people are experts at making liquor and it is a scientific process. Unfortunately, the Government has never legalized local liquors”, he stated. “Till date, the excise department has never adopted the local liquor and never encouraged its mainstreaming. They are letting external forces sell spirits, which is causing the sorry state of affairs here. Now, they are destroying liquor in places like Lakhimpur. What have these people done?” he quizzed. Daimary lambasted the authorities for targeting common folks belonging to indigenous communities and tribes and trying to destroy the traditional liquor making customs of the people.

Daimary said: “If the well-to-do are drinking, the lower classes will also desire to drink. And thus, they need cheap liquor. But they are compelled to drink illicit liquor made with battery acid. But there are some traditional liquors which are safe, but they are not licensed”.

The MP also said that an outright ban on alcohol shall not work and people who drink shall find a way to do so. “The local liquors that are available here are being brought from outside. Local liquor is Saai mod, local liquor is the Dimasa ‘judima’, local liquor is the Bodo ‘sai’”, he added.