As expected and anticipated the opposition to the Government's decision to lift prohibition is gaining momentum by the day and it remains to be seen whether Chief Minister O Ibobi and his Council of Ministers will succumb to the pressure mounted by several pressure groups including Meira Paibis and women folks in both the hill and valley districts or will stick to their gun and allow sale and by extension consumption of alcohol in the State. 

The rationale behind the decision of the Government is easy enough to understand but judging by the numerous rallies organized during the last many days we doubt whether the explanations put forth by the Government has been digested and accepted by the people. As the Chief Minister has taken pains to explain on numerous occasions and to anyone who showed the slightest inclination to listen, prohibition has been a total failure. Though prohibition was enforced in 1991 there has been no decrease in the consumption of alcohol and the State has been losing precious revenue. 

With the economy of the State crippled, the Government has to look for avenues to generate income and what easier way than to lift prohibition and rake in the moolah, is the stated rationalization forwarded by the Government. Over and above this, the State Government too has to fulfill its part of the obligation to the Center to lift prohibition as the Memorandum of Understanding reached between the State and the Center clearly lays down that prohibition should be lifted to better the economy. 

And of course it goes without saying that the SPF Government has to show New Delhi that it is keen to fulfill the part of its bargain. There is no doubt that lifting prohibition will help the State earn some revenue but the question before us is, why is there such a strong opposition against sale of alcohol although it is clear to all that prohibition has not led to the decrease in the consumption of alcohol.

Prohibition was enforced in 1991 when the State was under the MPP led coalition Government under the stewardship of Chief Minister RK Ranbir. There was a time in the social and economic history of Manipur when alcohol was associated with all the ills afflicting Manipur. Stories of broken homes, impoverished families, violence and plain criminal activities closely associated with alcohol consumption occurred with alarming regularity. In fact the present Meira Paibis have their genesis in the Nisha Band movement that gripped the State for long.

Prohibition came when alcohol abuse was at its peak and there were numerous pressures from a number of voluntary organizations, with even some underground organizations pitching in to ban the sale and consumption of alcohol. There was also a time when the local papers were full of "sengdokchabas" from a number of tipsters who had the misfortune of being caught by the underground organizations or local clubs while in inebriated conditions. Since then a lot of water has flowed down the Imphal River and yes, stories of broken homes and crimes associated with alcohol consumption seem to have declined. 

The task before the SPF Government then is to try and understand the reasons behind the strong opposition to lifting prohibition. As testified by the history of prohibition all over the world, people will continue to drink whether there is a ban on liquor or not but the question lying before everyone of us is, will giving official sanction to the sale and consumption of alcohol prove damaging to the moral and social fabric of the Manipuri society ? 

(Courtesy: The Sangai Express)