The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Hill women wage a battle against the bottle
Not only are hill women standing up against domestic
abuse, but also organising daring raids on
liquor vends, often smashing bottles
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service

Hill women hold a rally in Dehradun on Friday to register their protest against liquor vends. Tribune photo: Vinod Pundir

Dehradun, July 24
Women continue to be in the forefront of the anti-liquor movement in Uttarakhand. A group of women from Bageshwar, Dehradun, Tehri and Uttarkashi descended on the capital city this morning, demanding prohibition in the hills.

Carrying placards calling for a ban on the sale of liquor, their’s was a voice of unity and purpose. Demanding water and electricity, these women charged the government with pushing their menfolk onto the path of destruction by opening liquor vends at every nook and corner.

The protest was organised by the Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK), a non-government organisation.

The women said that for a few paltry crores, their menfolk, including young sons, were being lured into sale and consumption of liquor when they should be studying.

The women warned of a full-blown agitation if nothing was done on their demand. “Consumerism has swept away the old value system. Our children following in the footsteps of their elders are taking to liquor.

“The apathy of government is galling. With an eye on liquor revenue, it continues to open shops in the hills,” said Nandi Bhandari, panchayat member, Bageshwar.

In the early seventies and during the heydays of the Chipko movement, a parallel anti-liquor movement was started. Later during the Janata Party rule, prohibition was imposed on the state only to be revoked. During the ban , liquor sales continued to soar and touched a new high.

“Ayurvedic concoctions were introduced to the hill folk that contained 80 per cent liquor, and mind you they were all manufactured in distant cities and then sold in the remotest parts.

“Against this background, anti-liquor stirs were launched from time to time but the root cause of the problem remained unidentified,” said Shamsher Singh Bisht of the Lok Sangharsh Vahini that spearheaded the anti-liquor movement in the state and gave the slogan, “Sharab Nahin, rozgaar chahiye”.

“In some tribal areas, drinking is a norm. Unless and until reforms are carried out in society where men and the youth are gainfully employed, the problem will persist.

“Strict action has to be taken against bootleggers and the excise employees who allow the parallel liquor business to flourish,” said Geeta Gairola, project director, Mahila Samakhya.

With men taking to the bottle, most women have turned breadwinners. When the new state was created, they thought steps would be taken to correct the problem, but they have been disappointed.

Little wonder then they invented new channels of communication, one of collective action and agitations.

Not only are women now standing up against domestic abuse, but also organising daring raids on liquor vends, often smashing bottles.

In a village in Mori Block, women members held a demonstration calling for a ban on the smuggling of liquor through neighbouring states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.

“We have asked the local administration to impose a ban on brewing of liquor in the Mori block and impose a fine of Rs 5,000 on those found drinking at public places,” said Sundla Devi.

Determined that their voice is heard, the women have no fear of retaliatory action by the authorities concerned.

In several instances, cases have been lodged against women participating in raids on liquor shops.

“This has not deterred them one bit. In these villages while liquor flows freely, but there is no water or electricity, a paradox indeed ,” said Avdhesh Kaushal of the Rural Litigation.

Swine Flu
At IIT, 3 foreign students quarantined
Akash Ghai
Tribune News Service

Roorkee, July 24
With three foreign students who were here for admissions detected with swine flu symptoms, authorities at the Indian Institute of Technology as well as district health authorities are on high alert.

Doctors maintained that there was no cause of panic and the necessary precautions were being taken here.

The suspected patients have been put in isolation ward of the IIT Hospital, which is located on the premises.

Their blood samples and swab have been sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, New Delhi, for tests.

Chairman of the advisory committee of IIT Hospital, Dr DK Naudiyal, said as many as three foreign students have been admitted to hospital with swine flu-like symptoms.

“Although we can only confirm that it is swine flu once we receive reports from New Delhi, the three foreign students have been put in the isolation ward as a precautionary step,” he said, while adding that the district health authorities are also supervising all the developments along with the IIT medical staff. Dr Naudiyal said the symptoms of the flu and ordinary cold are almost the same.

“As these suspected patients have cold and fever, no carelessness can be afforded as the flu has been spreading its tentacles across the country,” said Dr Naudiyal.

Meanwhile, as a precautionary measure, IIT authorities have medically started screening all those who are arriving on campus from foreign countries.

Injured leopard dies; tusker’s carcass found
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 24
Despite the best efforts of the zoo authorities, a four-year-old leopardess died in downtown Nanital yesterday.

The wildcat was found lying in an injured condition in a drain on way to Birla College at around 6 yesterday morning.

Locals at once brought the matter to the notice of Nainital Zoo officials, who rushed to the site.

The leopardess was found to be suffering from gangrene. After tranquilising the animal, the authorities tried to take it back to the zoo for treatment but the leopardess died on the way.

DFO, Nainital Zoo, Biju Lal TR, said the animal was famished, as it had lost its ability to hunt due to gangrene.

“We tried our best to save it,” he said. Meanwhile, the carcass was buried after a postmortem. In another incident, officials in the Lansdowne forest division found a carcass of an elephant with its right tusk missing in the Duggada range.

Divisional Forest Officer Nishant Verma said while the outer part of the tusk was missing, the part inside the skin was intact. He said the matter was being probed and the carcass has been buried after a postmortem.