HYDERABAD: The Telangana government late on Tuesday night lifted the ban on liquor sale amidst the lockdown. Long queues, people waiting for hours in the scorching heat to buy alcohol were observed on Wednesday.
Many women, especially from marginalised sections have asked the government to not allow the sale of liquor as "it will only increase their woes" during this crisis. Near Uppal metro station, every day a group of women sit next to the main road surrounded by rubble and heaps of garbage, hoping that passers-by will give them some food. Speaking to the Express, these women who belong to the idol maker community said,
"We have almost exhausted all our savings, but now with liquor sale resuming, we fear that our husbands will splurge our little left money on liquor. The only good thing about this lockdown was the ban on liquor!" said 50-year-old Deviamma. "At least men in my community were not able to spend money on alcohol and go home to beat their wives and daughters."
Lost jobs
Pushpa, who works as a domestic help in a residential area in Begumpet said, "Our husbands do not do household work. As they do not have any job due to the lockdown, they can just stand in front of liquor shops. We will not be able to stop them."
A few women from nearby colonies shared the same opinion. They claimed, "Our husbands are extremely happy about the opening of liquor shops. They have started saying that the lockdown will be easy now, as they (men) can just eat meat, have alcohol, and go to sleep. However, our lives will get worse."
Stating that sale of liquor would also increase domestic violence and social distancing would go to a toss, women right activist, Kondaveeti Satyavathi said, "Many men have lost their livelihoods they are already stressed over it and opening liquor shops will only provoke them to drink, who will eventually unleash physical and sexual abuse at home."
The founder of Bhumika Women’s collective also said that they along with other women’s right organisations in the city were going to write to the Chief Minister to stop the liquor sale at least till the lockdown continues.
However another activist Tejisvani Madabhushi, believes that a single State liquor ban would not serve the purpose as it would only increase the illegal sale of liquor from the neighbouring States. Instead, a proper regulation should be in place, she added.
Activists to write to Chief Minister
The founder of Bhumika Women’s collective said they along with other women’s right organisations would write to the Chief Minister to stop liquor sale at least till the lockdown continues. Sale of liquor would increase domestic violence and social distancing would go to a toss, said women right activist Kondaveeti Satyavathi, "Many men have lost jobs, they are already stressed and opening liquor shops will only provoke them to drink, who will eventually unleash physical and sexual abuse at home."