All Manipur Women’s Social Reformation and Development Samaj (Nupi Samaj), an apex body of women-based organisations in Manipur registered a strong objection to the recent state government decision to partially lift prohibition on liquor.
A cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister N Biren Singh on September 20 resolved to regulate selling and brewing of liquor in Manipur.
Manipur was declared a dry state in 1991 after the enactment of the Manipur Liquor Prohibition Act, 1991.
The organisation demanded that the state government must review the cabinet decision that was taken to legalize brewing and selling of liquor. Leaders of Nupi Samaj warned of intense forms of agitations.
Addressing media persons at its office in Imphal on September 22, Nupi Samaj president Th Ramani cautioned that women in the state will launch various forms of intense agitations if the state government fails to review the decision.
She alleged that over 40 years of campaign by women against liquor and abuse of drugs went in vain by that decision of the government.
She added that the government had taken the decision by sidelining the long struggle of women against liquor to save the society. “The chief minister must immediately review the decision,” she added.
“If no positive response comes forth from the government, the Nupi Samaj is ready to launch various forms of intense agitations along with like-minded civil society organisations,” she also said.
The decision to lift the prohibition showed that the government sees only the revenue to be generated and not the negative impact being given to society, Ramani alleged.
Many organisations, particularly those campaigning against liquor and drug abuse had already registered their strong objection to the decision of the state government.
While strongly condemning the state cabinet decision, the Coalition Against Drugs and Alcohol (CADA) had also demanded the government to immediately revoke the cabinet decision.
CADA had said that such a move of the state government will benefit only some entrepreneurs.
