GUWAHATI: As Mizoram goes to election, the buzz is about liquor. Several political parties, including opposition Mizo National Front (MNF), have committed they will re-enforce "prohibition" if elected to power.
Sensing the mood on the ground, the ruling Congress is now showing signs of following suit. "If we retain power, we will go to people, particularly, church organisations and NGOs, and take a call on liquor," Congress spokesman Maliana told TNIE.
Similarly, the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM), which is a conglomerate of some smaller regional parties, asserted if voted to power, it would go to the people before enforcing a ban on liquor. The MNF alleged liquor was killing the state's young generation.
"By going against the Church and social organisations, they (Congress) are selling liquor, thereby killing hundreds and thousands of people. Over the past few years, six to seven thousand people, mostly youth, in Mizoram died prematurely because of liquor," MNF chief and two-time former Chief Minister Zoramthanga said. He claimed that people in the state were waiting for the day when the Congress would be ousted and there would be prohibition again. Liquor will be a thing of the past if the MNF forms the government, Zoramthanga promised.
After 17 years of total prohibition, the Congress government had lifted the Mizoram Liquor (Prohibition and Control) or MLPC Act in 2014 but regulated liquor's sale and consumption. The lifting of the Act saw mushrooming of liquor shops.
Currently, the state has around 30 retail liquor shops and two bars. The government issues liquor cards to consumers. A cardholder can buy, at the most, six bottles of liquor and 12 bottles of beer a month. The cards are issued to people aged over 21 years following payment of Rs.500 as registration fees and renewed annually through payment of Rs.300.
MNF legislator Lalrinawma claimed liquor was the reason behind the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Mizoram. The HIV/AIDS prevalence in the state is the highest in the country. "The increased rate of HIV in Mizoram can be largely attributed to the opening up of liquor shops," he claimed.
According to data received from Mizoram State AIDS Control Society (MSACS), 17,538 HIV-positive cases have been recorded in the state from 1990 till date. Of these, an estimated 5,000 people died. MSACS project director Dr. Lalmalsawmi Sailo said HIV-AIDS transmission was mainly through sexual and drug routes. "Between 2014 and 2015, 71 per cent of cases of transmissions were through sexual route. It has now come down to 59.8 per cent. The percentage of contraction due to drug abuse during 2014-15 was 19.5 per cent. It has now risen to 35.2 per cent," she said.