Everybody admits that drinking liquor is bad and harmful for health and mind. But we must not forget that total prohibition will lead to opposite results.
The human Tendency right from the beginning of the world to this day had been to enter the forbidden land. There was no other tendency working in Eve when she wanted to taste the forbidden fruit- the fruit of the tree of knowledge in the garden of Eden. Those who are addicted to drinking have often been heard saying that it is happier to drink in a prohibited area than in non-prohibited area. So if total prohibition is enforced by law, many others will be tempted to drink and taste the forbidden drink.
Now let us see the economic aspect. Ours is a country trying to be economically self-sufficient. She has not yet achieved this goal. The revenue obtained from the excise duty and other taxes imposed I upon liquor forms a major part of the income of the Central State Treasure. If total prohibition comes into force, this will cause a great loss of revenue to the country.
Millions of labourers are engaged in alcoholic industry all over India. If total prohibition is enforced, they will become unemployed.
It will worsen the unemployment problem. A large number of people will be induced into the anti-social activities. We should not forget that nothing else thrives so much crime and nothing else is so much tempting as crime. Easy money brings it.
Total prohibition was enforced in Bihar and Orissa years ago. What was the result? Thousands of people died there after drinking the poisonous illicit liquor known as Tari. The Governments of Bihar and Orissa could not handle the situation that grew out of total prohibition. After a few years it was a total failure. What happened to total prohibition recentiy in Haryana. Government was forced to withdraw this due to loss of revenue the state was on he doors of bankruptcy.
But all this does not mean that we should encourage drinking among the poor, ignorant people who form a very great majority of the' people and those living below poverty line. We have to take strong and effective measures to put this social evil to an end. But Still total prohibition is no solution. Trying to undo an evil by another evil makes it a deep-rooted evil.
