Liquor prohibition law turns counter-productive in NE

Guwahati, Mar 10 (UNI) Total ban on sale and consumption of liquor in the three bordering states of the North East--Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram--has turned out counter-productive and given rise to drug abuse.

This was the general tone of the judicial colloquium for Development of Policies and Programmes for the North Eastern Region, attended by the Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan, other judges of the Supreme Court, Delhi High Court as well as Guwahati High Court besides Asom Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.

Appealing against the Prohibition law, Supreme Court justice H K Sema said that all these states were suffering from random drug proliferation due to long international border and closeness to golden triangle of Myanmar and Thailand where drug transaction was high.

''Today in all these states, the prices of drugs have become lesser than those of a bottle of rum and whisky. As a result, there is a tremendous growth of bootleggers and black marketers as both drugs and liquor are freely available everywhere in these states.

The young generation is getting attracted to drugs because not only is it cheaper but easily available,'' Justice Sema, while appealing to reconsider the laws, said.

He was joined by Mr Gogoi, who also advocated withdrawal of the total prohibition policy. ''A large part of Asom is tribal dominated and liquor is considered as part of social life. It cannot be prohibited. Instead, people should be made aware of the negative aspects of it,'' the Chief Minister said.

Mr Sema asserted that no legislation could be imposed on people unless it was well understood and accepted by people.

Chief Justice Balakrishnan also expressed serious concern over drug trafficking as well as the victims of HIV and AIDS.

''These states are more vulnerable because of their proximity to international boundary. Literacy rate in the North East is very high.

Yet, both drug abuse and HIV cases are comparatively higher here.

We have to sensitise the judiciary and police,'' he said.

The two-day-long seminar would bring together the legal fraternity, NGOs working on drug rehabilitation and HIV/AIDS. The National Legal Service Authority (NLSA) would sensitise the judiciary about the problems in these two sectors.

UNI