IN Haryana, it appears, one man has taken upon himself to convert this "Land of Mahabharata" into a "Land of Casinos." I would have wished him good luck but, unfortunately, I cannot because his over-enthusiastic idea is far removed from the ground reality in Haryana. For the Haryanvis, culture is woven around bada-chota, adami-aurat,sadhu-sant and all this still holds enormous values.

The reality of the state of Haryana is that even in the 21st century it retains a very rural, farming-oriented lifestyle. This further gets translated into rural, or, at best, typically Indian middle-class psyche, wherein everything moves in a traditional and conventional manner. Thus, whether in the cities or in the villages of Haryana, you can witness an over-whelming presence of pagri and dhoti-clad men and women with long veils, wearing the traditional ghaghra. With these clothes and minds born out of a typical rural culture, can you ever imagine adoption of a totally westernised concept?

It goes to Haryana’s credit that it is rooted to its culture in many ways. I was personally delighted to listen to Haryanvi folk-singers dressed in traditional costumes at the Chandigarh Press Club recently. What I observed distinctly was that the singers did not indulge in any "imported re-mix", a la Punjab folk-singers. Besides they used their traditional folk instruments as accompanists. There were no scantly-dressed women dancing around in a vulgar fashion to sell the voices of these singers. Similarly, the traditional Ragini of Haryana is still a rage in rural areas. These are only a few signs which reveal the minds of the Haryanvis.

The profile of Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala himself does not fall into a category where he could be associated with the over-enthusiasm over opening of casinos in the state. A man, who is blessed with rustic wisdom and a shrewdness to read political correctness in each of his moves, cannot be a party to such a decision. There is a possibility that a rosy picture of casinos might have been painted before him. But, surely, Chautala ought to know that such a decision could neither be politically correct nor morally sound.

Chautala’s sharp memory will help him recollect that his arch rival and immediate predecessor, Bansi Lal, had won over a majority of women votes by promising "prohibition." That his prohibition policy eventually failed for reasons other than the state danda is in any case a secondary matter. What is important here is that women of Haryana had taken to streets to protest against the opening of liquor vends to generate revenue. They had successfully demonstrated that when a state generates revenue at the cost of its youth, it will not be supported by the masses.

Unlike the women of Punjab, women in Haryana have neither religion to fall back on nor any progressivism of the modern day. Their physical situation is worse than that of Punjabi women. While there is a very recent categorical diktat in the Sikh Rehat Maryada announced by the Akal Takht Jathedar that those who indulge in female foeticide should be socially boycotted, there was no such reaction from any religious sect in Haryana. The female sex ratio in both the states is the lowest in India. Besides, a majority of women in Haryana are not only expected to go through the drudgery of household chores and rearing of children but are expected to tend cattle and till land. However, their counterparts in Punjab are only expected to run homes and bear children.

The economic contribution of women as a workforce in Haryana, however, does not get reflected in any official figures. To add to their woes, the men had taken to liquor consumption resulting in battering of women, stealing, dropping out from schools and colleges, etc.

It was this state which had led them to agitate against liquor vends. Today, the situation has not changed and hence the opening of casinos will be yet another provocation for them.

The bottomline for Chautala is to perceive whether liquor vends, lottery tickets or casinos are morally correct. How can a state, primarily founded on the concept of a "welfare state," think of ideas of generating revenue on morally incorrect grounds? Our leaders display Mahatma Gandhi’s photo in their offices, but so conveniently forget his teaching that even the means to achieve an end should be morally correct. In 52 years, the Indian bureaucracy has failed us by not evolving any constructive measures to generate revenue and continues to cling to the most destructive ideas like opening of liquor vends or casinos.

I am sure Om Parkash Chautala’s political maturity will enable him to see the impact of casinos on his state. The argument of casinos’ success in Goa cannot be imposed on Haryana. These two states are so different from each other. Quite like Haryana’s predominant rural folk culture, Goa has grown with western influence for centuries. So, a woman in a bikini, or feni stock in every home is part of their culture. But can any one of these things be experimented with in Haryana?

It is the men of Haryana who will be the potential clients of the proposed casinos. About women, one can almost authoritatively say that they would vehemently reject the proposed idea. It is not only the religious bodies and social organisations that are reported to be voicing their protest against this idea. A majority of the elders and parents are also feeling threatened. I personally feel that opening of casinos in Haryana would be like adding fuel to fire.

I should be the last person to sermonise to Chautala that it has been proved all over the world that only sustained development in education and health can help any state or a nation to grow. To produce quality human resource, it is essential that we do not keep on making dents in our social fibre. Alcohol consumption, however justified, has produced billions of alcoholics all over the world. Similarly, lottery ticket addiction has generated uncontrollable crime and greed around us. Casinos too fall in the same category. They have generated greed, escapism and unprecedented crime in the world. Hence legitimising liquor consumption, lotteries or casinos -- that too by the state-- is certainly not a step forward by the human race.