Activists protest in front of Jorhat deputy commissioner's office on Thursday. Telegraph picture
Jorhat, Sept. 22: Eleven organisations under the banner of Maad Mukta Asom Dabi Samity (MMADS), a platform demanding the enforcement of a law for total prohibition of liquor on the lines of Bihar, today staged a sit-in in front of the Jorhat deputy commissioner's office and submitted a memorandum to Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
Prominent among the organisations that took part in the three-hour sit-in were Manab Adhikar Sangram Samiti (MASS), All Tai Ahom Students' Union, Nrijatita Mahila Ekya Mancha, Ujani Asom Muslim Kalyan Parishad, Gana Adhikar Sangram Samity and Anuhusita Jati Chatra Sanstha.
Samity secretary Pulak Ranjan Gogoi told this correspondent that the platform was formed across the state last year after a campaign for liquor prohibition was made through social media by several like-minded people with an appeal to the public to support the cause.
Complementing the Bihar government for enacting a tough law and banning liquor in the state a few months back, Gogoi said such a law was very much required in Assam.
He said thousands of families were devastated because of a pro-liquor policy followed by the government for the past 25 years under which new liquor shops and bars have opened in every nook and corner of the state.
Stating that liberal liquor consumption was destroying Assamese society socio-economically and affecting a large chunk of the population, Gogoi said the upcoming generation is badly affected by easy availability of liquor.
"One of the major reasons for the increase in crime rate and road accidents was rapid rise in alcohol consumption by the people as it was very easily available," Gogoi said.
The anti-liquor leader said the sit-in today was the second step in the organisation's campaign and such programmes will be organised in the rest of the 34 districts.
Gogoi said the organisations have asked the government to come up with a plan to rehabilitate those people involved in the trade in other sectors.
He said dairy farming, poultry, fishery and a host of agricultural activities could be taken up by those involved in liquor trade.
He said Tinsukia topped the list of districts with 36.5 per cent of the population consuming liquor.
President of MASS (Jorhat district unit), Manjit Kalita, said the organisations have also planned to launch a mass signature campaign across the state from next month to support their demand.
Kalita said the memorandum was submitted to all the 126 MLAs of the state recently to seek their support.
He said the government should not go ahead with its proposed plan to undertake ventures to popularise liquors made traditionally by different communities during festival time as announced in the budget.
|
