UP: Women Protest For Shut Down Of Liquor Shops, Files Complaints On Public Nuisance Caused By Alcoholics

From the historical Anti-arrack movement, which saw one of the biggest agitations led by women in the state of Andhra Pradesh, to the most recent protests happening at the Kesripur Bhandha village, alcohol has posed a long-existing problem for many women.

Alcoholism among the males in the family has been traced down as one of the major causes of domestic abuse and draining household income. In many states, alcohol has contributed to problems ranging from anti-social behaviour to criminal activities.

Several among these states, such as Bihar, was declared the dry state to resolve these concerns faced by women and bank on them during the elections. The ban impacted over 100 million people in the state, and the government claimed that the records of domestic violence, petty crime, and wasted income had fallen drastically after the ban. In some districts, the ban boomeranged, and many people turned to illicit liquor and became victims of hooch tragedies.

In a recently reported case, a group of women were seen protesting at the Rohaniya police station in Uttar Pradesh against the alcohol addiction seen among the men in the villages.

A Protest Held Onto For Two Years

It was two years back when the liquor shop in Kesripur Bhandha opened. Since then, the women of the remote village have been facing many problems, making it a point to voice them publicly. Filing complaints in the district police stations, they documented how most village men had become addicted. Many of these drunkards would create nuisance around public spots by passing lewd and disrespectful comments against women.

Taking the matter into their own hands, a group of women mobilised at the Rohaniya Police Station on September 25 and protested against the official's inactions. They staged demonstrations and demanded the liquor shop be closed.

As quoted from the Hindustan Times, the in-charge of the station, Vimal Kumar Mishra, said that the women were complaining about their families suffering due to the alcoholism that penetrated the village. The angry crowd of women dispersed only after they were assured that the police would take appropriate action.

One among the protesters, Pramila Devi, said that the women were planning to stage a protest at the liquor shop and go on a hunger strike if no action would be taken by the police.

Also Read: Shocking! At Least 4 Dead In 'Dry State' Bihar After Consuming Spurious Alcohol, Many Others Hospitalised