Anti Liquor Movement in Uttarakhand :

In Uttarakhand drinking is no longer a personal issue but has become a social, economic and political evil. Ever since independence, sporadic struggles against drunkenness have broken out from time to time. From 1965 to 1971 a strong movement spread so the government had to declare prohibition in certain areas. At present, there is complete prohibition in Uttarkashi, Chamoli and Tehri, partial prohibition, under which liquor is available with a permit, in Pauri and Pithoragarh, but liquor is freely available in Nainital, Almora and Dehradun.

Beginning of the Movement :

In 1977 Uttarakhand Sangharsh Vahini (USV) was organised af Gopeshwar by the joint efforts of many organisations. Men like Chandiprasad Bhatt, Shamsher Singh Visht, Vipin Tripathi, Kunwar Prasun, Yogesh Bahuguna, Sachidanand Bharti, Puran Chand Tiwari, Pradip Tamta, were founding members of the organisation. The USV was active in the Chipko movement. In 1983, a meeting was arranged at Almora where all the problems prevailing in the hill areas were discussed. It was felt that liquor was a major problem and should be taken up as a priority issue. In January 1984, a supportive organisation, Jagar, arranged a padyatra from Bhavali in Nainital to Srinagar in Garhwal. On the way the team conducted surveys in villages, performed street plays and held meetings. The team also endorsed the conclusion that the battle against liquor must be the first battle in Uttarakhand.

In February 1984 the inhabitants of village Basbhira in Chaukhutiya block, Almora, found a man with illicit liquor in his possession. They complained to the local officer, Kameshwar Prasady but he did not take any action. Then they caught this officer himself smuggling liquor. At  this, they gheraoed him. The local SDM threatened to kill an activist, Puran Chand Tiwari, which enraged the people further. A public meeting was held, where many women and men resolved to launch a movement against liquor. This was followed by a systematic attempt to detect illicit liquor. At Dwarahar, Masi, Chaukhutia, Mikiyasen, Sheelapani, Someshwar, Salt, Sealdah, Deghar, and many other places, illicit liquor, Sura and Ashoka liquid was detected. The sellers were caught, their faces were blackened and they were paraded in public. Meetings and demonstrations were held in many villages. Sura and liquid worth lakhs of rupees was destroyed or confiscated. The people were particularly infuriated because they discovered that a number of village headmen, block officers, leaders and other influential men were actively involved in the trade. These men, when caught, were also subjected to the same treatment. They were paraded with blackened faces and made to vow in public that they would give up the trade. The success in exposing such men encouraged the people. The climax was reached on March 26, when local people of Garampani in Nainital caught big traders, Kundan Seth and his son, of Kanpur, and Hukum Seth, of Almora, as they were returning from a liquor auction at Almora. These men were stripped naked, garlanded with shoes and their faces were blackened.

They were paraded and forced to vow that they would never trade in liquor again in the hill areas. On February 14, a mass demonstration was held at Chaukhutiya in which about 10,000 people from surrounding villages took part. The demonstration was accompanied with the traditional musical instruments of Kumaon such as drums and trumpets. Another demonstration of about 14,000 people was held on February 26. Since fairs and festivals had become occasions for drinking, the movement made an effort to create an antidrunkenness atmosphere at such times. Public meetings were held at such fairs. Very little liquor could be sold at the Shivratri fair in Mikiyasen and Someshwar. The use of liquor at weddings also decreased.

Again, at Holi, USV activists formed teams and went from village to village singing antiliquor songs in traditional style. A Holi procession was taken out on March 14 from Chaukhutiya in which both women and men took part. This was a very new thing, since women normally do not take part in Holi processions. A decrease in public sale and consumption of liquor was perceptible in areas where the movement was strong. There were also some cases of people undergoing a change of heart and joining the movement. For instance, Narendra of Chaukhutiya, who used to be considered a drunken rogue, has become an activist and even been to jail twice in the course of the agitation. Keshav who owned four distilleries near Chaukhutiya has himself destroyed them and become an activist. Devidutt Pandey and Manoharlal Chaudhuri who were drunkards, joined the movement and participated in fast unto death at Nainital.

Phase of Confrontation  :

The movement began in rural areas where Sura, Ashok liquid and country liquor were more freely available than factory made liquor. So there was no direct confrontation with the government, even though there was an indirect tussle because many local men have Congress (I) connections. But soon the movement began to challenge auctions of liquor by the administration. The Uttar Pradesh government announced an auction on March 20 and 21. The USV resolved to oppose it, and gave a call in the villages: “Nasha nahin, rozgar ‘(Give us jobs, not liquor): On March 20, a procession of thousands with drums and traditional flags proceeded to the city to tell administration that they did not need liquor. The  government hastily  changed the dates of the auction to March 26 and 27. It was decided to organise a chakka jam in the city on March 26. The administration declared section 144 throughout Almora. The chakka jam was successful but the contracts for country liquor were made under heavy security arrangements. At Almora and Bhavali, ruffians were hired to attack the demonstrators. In the attacks, women were injured with lathis and hockey sticks.

Spreading of Movement :

The movement began to spread towards Nainital. On March 9 and 16, demonstrations were held at Garampani and bottles were confiscated and broken. At Bhavali, the distillery was kept closed by a 12 day long relay fast. The movement also demands a ban on medicines with a more than 10 percent alcohol content.

A 15 day long public education programme was organised outside shops selling Sura in Almora. At Ramnagar, on July 21, the students’ union, college and youth organisations raided many shops, confiscated  liquor and sealed it. Meetings, demonstrations and attempts to create an anti-liquor atmosphere at fairs still continue.

Women’s Role :

Women have played an active role in the movement. Village women have been particularly active. At Almora, even 80 year-old women could be seen with their walking sticks, raising slogans. A group of women from a village near Havalbagh said that none of the men were willing to come for the demonstration since all of them drink, so the women had come on their own. A number of Muslim women such as Hamida Begum, Fatima Kanij, Nurjahan Begum, Sakhri Begum, Habibanisa took part in the fast at Almora. At first they wore burkah but later they removed the burkah.Though roza was in progress they reached Nainital for the demonstration. Women of the surrounding villages locked the distillery and even after the police stopped them, they continually made efforts to relock it. They sent teams to Nainital to take part in the struggle there. Many urban women in Nainital and Almora felt that they would be dishonoured if they walked on the streets in procession but others argued that there is no dishonour in doing right.