Chhota Udepur women attack liquor bhattis in a continuing raid to end alcohol menace

The Bodeli belt in Chhota Udepur is notorious for the number of illicit country liquor breweries that run from fields on the roadside -much visible to passersby and the local administration. Several bhattis also exist in Dharoli Patalpur village and indulge in unchecked illegal trade of country liquor.

The women folk of the village say that their men have become addicted to alcohol over the years, resulting in devastated families and ruined lives. Now, in order to prevent the next generation of the village from “dunking itself in the deep sea of alcohol”, the women decided to take matters in their hands after warning the traders to stop selling liquor here.

On Wednesday, a group of women attacked the bhattis and vandalized the stacked pouches of liquor, popularly called ‘poltis’ in the rustic areas – a severe addiction facing several men in the vicinity. The women were led by Dinu Thakre, the woman sarpanch of the Dharoli Gram Panchayat, who sympathized with the women’s constant complaints about alcohol addiction taking over gave the women a free hand to launch a massive protest rally by attacking the bhattis. The local Bodeli police accompanied women to the bhattis. Thakre told the police that the women had no other option but to end the menace of alcohol by attacking the bhattis.

Thakre said, “The women had been constantly complaining to me about how alcohol is ruining their families and many have been apprehensive that the younger generations will take to alcohol too like their fathers. Despite several complaints and pleas to the local administration for law and order to pack off the illicit bhattis, there has been no action taken in all these years. They say Gujarat is a dry state but the maximum number of country liquor bhattis run openly here. Even cops know about it.”

These women from Dharoli are among the Women Empowerment groups of Chhota Udepur villages who have staged protests and attacked shops selling liquor in the recent past. However, the ongoing agitation by the women of Dharoli is a new statement in itself. Jashi Vasava, a resident of the village who was part of the group that attacked the bhattis said, “The addiction of alcohol has ruined lives of many youngsters too, like their fathers.

Our husbands have abused and beaten us in drunken states since decades and now our sons are selling off household items and crops to be able to purchase this illegally brewed alcohol in a dry state while the police is watching. Today, the constables who came to control the situation told us they are with us in this. If they really are, these bhattis should not be here in the first place.”

Rajan Sushra, Superintendent of Police, Chhota Udepur said that 6012 offences have been registered against traders of illicit country liquor since January 2014. In the previous year from January 2013 to December 2013, 5407 cases were registered, but have failed to act as a deterrent. “The women from Dharoli and the police had both received information about the bhattis and in fact, our policemen accompanied the local women to the bhattis during the raid.

Every time we conduct raids, the traders go into hibernation for sometime and then set their business back again, bringing country liquor from other areas. We are trying to create awareness and educate them about the ills of alcohol addiction and we are in the process of involving women in this activity from the areas as part of the Mahila Suraksha Samiti program directed by the government of Gujarat.”