Although a liquor outlet was approved for Bareth village in March, the authorities have not been able to set it up as women here protested for nine days and five nights. The foreign liquor outlet was shifted to Paula Tauk in Phegu gram panchayat, about 5 km away, but women there went on protest too.
This is not for the first time that women have protested against liquor outlets in this region. Since 2011, women have been playing an instrumental role in the closure of several illegal country-made liquor manufacturing units in the villages of Taljaman, Patheo, Jola, Batwari and Dungar.
The villages here have a women's empowerment unit, the Mahila Mangal Dal (MMD), which raises issues that affect women and decides on a course of action.
Vijay Laxmi, MMD president of Bareth, told TOI that after the mid-June flash floods and landslides last year, many men in the village lost their jobs. The opening of a liquor outlet would only cause further deterioration of the finances of village families, she said.
"On March 22, we came to know that a liquor vend was being opened in the village. MMD members decided to fight against the opening of the liquor vend tooth and nail," she said.
The women met district officials, but their pleas were ignored. "Following Gandhian principles, we held a protest for nine days and stayed up five nights to ensure that the person allotted the outlet did not bring liquor to the village," Laxmi said, adding, "Finally on April 12, the district and excise officials came to the village and assured us that the liquor vend would not be opened here."
District excise officer Raje Singh said, "A new location is being explored. We need to respect the feelings of the women." The official said a new location would be finalized by Monday. "It is definitely leading to a loss of revenue, so a decision has to be taken at the earliest," Singh said.
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