DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Police in Devprayag of Tehri district has announced a reward of Rs 10,001 to the bride for objecting to booze parties at her wedding functions.
The initiative was taken under the 'Bhuli' (sister in Garhwali language) Kanyadan scheme.
The reward money would be pooled in by the staff of the police station. Devprayag police have taken the initiative to discourage cocktail parties in weddings in rural areas under its jurisdiction.
Mahipal Rawat, station house officer of Devprayag police station said, "The initiative has seen taken in consultation with people of the area. They believe that this move will make the wedding function a dry affair."
Rawat further said that abuse of alcohol in the area has been a major reason for quarrels leading to law and order situations.
In March 2020, The New Indian Express had reported how women from a village in Tharali block of Chamoli district and Didihat division in Pithoragarh district have decided to ban liquor in their localities citing an alarming increase in consumption among the youth.
Uttarakhand has been an anti-liquor movement every now and then as prohibition has been a long-time demand by women.
In February 1984, the inhabitants of village Basbhira in Chaukhutiya block, Almora district, found a man with illicit liquor in his possession. They complained to the local officer Kameshwar Prasad but he did not take any action. Then they caught the officer while he was smuggling liquor and gheraoed him.
In 2017, activists from different parts of the state held a padayatra (foot march) from Nainital to Gairsain to press for a separate department for the promotion of anti-liquor activities.
In 2014, women in Dehradun protested against the opening of an alcohol shop at Kanwali road. Similarly, in 2015, women in Someshwar demonstrated against the opening of a beer bar in the area and ran a signature campaign too.
It is noteworthy that in the past, women in the Gopeshwar area used stingy grass to prick people who queued up to buy alcohol.