Kohima: The Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) Nagaland has called for the lifting of the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition (NLTP) Act, stating that the law, in place for over three decades, has been an utter failure.
The group highlighted the Act’s far-reaching consequences, including corruption within law enforcement, the rise of a mafia culture, and the degradation of societal values.
In a statement on Thursday, ACAUT stressed the importance of addressing the issue of liquor prohibition, calling it a matter of significant concern with direct and indirect impacts on many lives in Nagaland.
The organisation noted that while it is up to the elected government to make the final decision, it should not succumb to pressure from various groups but should instead prioritise the state’s best interests.
“If the Government decides to continue with the prohibition Act, then it must clearly state the reason and rationale for arriving at such decision and therefore the Govt. Comes come out clearly to dispel the suspicion that a few in the Government. Are making NLTP act continue and have even been influencing certain individuals from pressure groups,” the ACAUT said.
The ACAUT Nagaland is of the opinion that the NLTP Act should be done away with, or at least partial lifting should be implemented along towns and cities bordering with Assam.
ACAUT said it believes that the majority of Nagas support lifting the prohibition for valid reasons. The NLTP Act, according to them, is unworkable and has failed in its purpose.
“NLTP act only encourages corruption within the law enforcement agencies and creates mafia culture making criminals within the society, this has far reaching consequences in the degradation of the moral fabric of the society. It has totally corrupted the professional class,” ACAUT said.
ACAUT pointed out that despite the ban, alcohol is easily available across the state, operated through unregulated outlets run by criminal elements. The group emphasized that a regulated system, with licensed wine shops, would be far more manageable from a practical standpoint.
The group also argued that the problem of alcoholism and addiction existed before the prohibition and that a more pragmatic approach would involve allocating revenue from regulated alcohol sales to fund detox and counseling centers. ACAUT added that the moral argument for prohibition lacks biblical foundations and is based on personal feelings rather than pragmatic solutions.
While ACAUT supports the lifting of the NLTP Act across the state, it suggested at least a partial lifting in towns and cities bordering Assam. It pointed out that many Nagas favour lifting the prohibition due to its ineffectiveness and the rise of spurious alcohol sales, which have led to numerous early deaths.
“The early deaths due to consumption of unregulated spurious alcohol is one that seriously needs thorough study however a few conversations with a few doctors and common-sense observation would indicate that more and more people are succumbing to alcohol related deaths earlier and much sooner. These people had hardly the time or the opportunity for reforming as they passed away at young age before maturity or realisation could set in. While there is no guarantee that with regulation and opening of wine stores it will do away with spurious alcohol, but it certainly is more manageable and would drastically cut down on spurious alcohol,” the group said.
ACAUT criticised the idea that the NLTP Act could succeed if the government showed more seriousness, calling such hopes “wishful and fatalistic optimism.” It noted that the government lacks the manpower and funds to enforce prohibition effectively and argued that public support for the act has waned.
“To be very practical for this Act to succeed it would require the will and commitment of the general public also. Except for few extremist Islamic countries where punishment is death and where alcohol is seen as Haram, in such country’s prohibition has succeeded to some extent. Thus, unless the Government of Nagaland wishes to implement death penalty for both the drinker, the buyer and the seller, the NLTP act would never succeed and to hope for otherwise is outright delusional lacking grasp of reality,” it added.
The group further urged the government to act in the best interest of the public, stating that the majority of alcohol consumers in Nagaland are not alcoholics and should not be penalised because of a few who abuse it.
“Prohibition in the state should be lifted at all cost. It is simply not implementable anyone. The empirical evidence of the past three and a half decades are irrefutable,” ACAUT said, reiterating its call for the government to lift the NLTP Act or, at the very least, lift the prohibition in border towns.
Also Read | Weakest Dry State? Why Nagaland’s prohibition law is seen as ‘total failure’