Tradition sanctions drinking, law bans local brew

SHILLONG, June 27 ? With the exception of certain pockets, the entire State of Meghalaya is wet but only for Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL). In a peculiar contradiction, brewing, selling and drinking of locally distilled brew is illegal in the State where drinking is a tribal custom since time immemorial. The matter came up for serious debate in the Meghalaya House Thursday during discussions on a cut motion on a demand for grant. Moving the cut motion, BJP member and former Home Minister TH Rangad said, ?everybody knows that the local brew is being produced, sold and consumed despite it being illicit.? Demanding legislation of local brew, he said, ?it is a custom for the tribals to drink but it is being produced in jungles in unhygienic conditions and smuggled into the State capital because it is illicit.? As a result, there is no control on the quality nor does the State earn any revenue on it, he said. ?The large scale adulteration of the local brew with poisonous substances such as tobacco, copper sulphate and newspapers is killing people.? He asserted that there can be no justification for the ban on the local brew when IMFL is legalised in the State. ?IMFL is being imported from outside the State while the local industry is being affected,? he regretted. CR Marak of Garo National Council (GNC) and NN Simchang of BJP also supported Rangad, and demanded legalisation of local brew. Simchang pointed out that production of country-made liquor is legalised and controlled by the State Governments in parts of the country. Tonsing N Marak (Cong) opposed the cut motion but supported the Opposition?s view that local brew should be legalised. ?The excise and police personnel who are supposed the control the illicit liquor are themselves drinking the stuff instead of destroying it after being seized,? he alleged. Pleading for legalising the local brewing industry, he said, ?this will not only boost production of rice but also improve the local economy.? The lone voice of dissent came from KC Boro (Cong) who feared that legalising the local brew will remove even the token restriction that the ban had placed on the production of local brew. ?Legalising it will lead to increased brewing and consumption severely affecting the society,? he cautioned. The local brew ?Kakiyat? and ?Yadli? in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills and ?Chu? and ?Bitchi? in the Garo Hills are popular among the masses because it is much cheaper than IMFL. In his reply, Meghalaya Chief Minister, Dr FA Khonglam admitted that production and consumption of local brew are continuing though these are not legalised. ?Government has been considering legalising local brew. We are in favour of it as it will ensure quality besides bringing in much-needed revenue for the cash-strapped State,? he said. The subject is under the jurisdiction of the district councils, and traditional institutions like the ?Himas? and Syiems which are opposed to my interference from the State Government in the matters. ?We need to put our heads together to sort out the matter,? he said.