The recent hooch-related deaths in Bihar, which are not the first and unfortunately not the last ones, are tragic and logic-defying. Mr. Chief Minister, you cite Mahatma Gandhi to justify the prohibition in the state, but there is one problem. Had Mahatma Gandhi been the Chief Minister of Bihar, which he would never have been because he didn’t like political power, would he have remained steadfast after witnessing so many deaths in the previous six and a half years?
You can do yourself and your state a favour by looking back just about 100 years. When in February of 1922, Mahatma Gandhi called off the non-cooperation movement when it turned violent and led to the killing of several people and policemen in Chauri Chaura, Uttar Pradesh. So far, from April 2016 until today, hundreds, if not thousands, of people have died after consuming spurious liquor. And what do you have to say, “Mr Sushashan Babu”? You say, “Sharab piyoge to maroge, compensation kaisa?” which loosely translates into “If you drink liquor, you will die; why demand compensation for this?”
First things first, it should not be understood that I support liquor or alcohol in any manner whatsoever. I myself am a teetotaller and, hence, have never faced any problems due to the law. But nobody will feel joy after hearing about the deaths due to it. A video from the Bihar assembly has surfaced in which you claim that those who die as a result of alcohol consumption do not deserve compensation. Fair enough; I will take your word for it. But the joy and excitement that you are feeling in stating those words can only be felt by a sadist. Your face is betraying the sadist inside you. If you can’t sympathise with the kin of the dead, please don’t make fun of them, Mr. Chief Minister! You are trying to occupy the national stage before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and seeing you laugh over the deaths, whatever the reason, won’t do you any good. People will compare you with your competitor, who is Narendra Modi, and if they find that you are no different, what will be your USP then? Have some common sense and historical sense too, and don’t bring Mahatma Gandhi into it. He would never have imagined what you have done inside and outside the assembly to justify your failures.
If there is so much opposition to the way the law has been implemented and is being implemented, then surely it’s time for you to revisit the law. You are the administrative veteran; you know best what should be done. Let your good sense prevail and surrender your ego. Anyway, you plan to compete with Modi, not be a mirror image of him. Even, Mr. Modi revisited the hastily implemented farm laws and revoked them. If you feel that your “woman vote bank” would wither away due to some tweaks in the prohibition law, then do some basic cost-benefit analysis. Put some pressure on your ageing mind and decide whether the price that people are paying for drinking in dry Bihar is worth it or not. It is often said that emotions cloud judgement. And if you think this is the case with you, then please let someone you trust advise you. You will most probably find someone in your faithful coterie of yours who can clear the clouds the way China did at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.