various rambling thoughts: Hanging the branches..same old, same old…

They don’t really learn from the past do they?

Gujarat government is prosecuting Hooch sellers who are allegedly behind the deaths of more 150 people recently. They are obviously taking a high moral ground when they do this, claiming to punish those people who are ‘corrupting’ a ‘morally pure’ society.

It is strange and ironic to see how past echoes itself again and again in different guises and forms in different places. The same attitude was taken by the authorities when they imposed prohibition in the United States in the early part of the century. Now, we all know how that ended. Not only did people find ways out –often dangerous ones, this period also saw the rise of the mafia like never before. It was only after a decade or so that the government realized what the Modi government refuses to understand – prohibition does not work.

Ask anyone who works in Gujarat. They all have a tale to tell as to how they manage to get liquor. Most of it is dangerous because, well, its illegal. And therein lies the crux of the problem – people want liquor, they always have. And people, as resourceful as they are, will always find a way to get it. And people will find a way to sell it as well – illegal things are as a rule, hugely profitable. The question to be asked is – which of the devil do we rather fight?

Do we become like medieval moral guardians imposing our sensibilities on people, no matter how removed it is from reality – in the process, endangering people’s lives and health? Or do we become pragmatists and realize that morality is not absolute and certainly not what our religious texts claim, and so devising ways to give the citizens the choice to become more responsible? If we believe our citizens to be mature enough to choose their government at 18, I think its obvious we need to trust them to make certain life choices.

In any case, other states have not slipped into anarchy just because there is no prohibition. In fact ironically, the only recent riots that have occurred occurred in Gujarat. I think Modi needs to sit and think what he really intends to accomplish. Hanging a few hooch vendors will certainly not cure the problem, because obviously they are the symptoms…