Healthy transmogrification

Through the efforts of a police officer, illicit liquor in Chaynpurwa was weeded out by providing rehabilitation and employment alternatives; the project awaits sustainability

- ANIL SWARUP

IIllicit liquor is a massive social, economic and law enforcement nightmare across India. It has been known to destroy innumerable lives by death, criminal conviction, disability and addiction apart from ruining livelihoods, families and health. The brunt of this evil is most intensely felt by the poor and illiterate classes.

In January this year, Dr Aravind Chaturvedi was posted as the Superintendent of Police of Barabanki, a district of UP adjoining its capital city Lucknow. Barabanki is a prosperous district but it has some great challenges. It is notorious for narcotics and illicit liquor. Hence, the first priority for Aravind on being posted there was to curb these criminal activities.

Crackdowns and raids on illicit liquor makers and sellers across the district revealed some bitter truths. Many of those being arrested would go right back to their ‘trade’ after release. And, most of those involved were stuck in this trade due to a lack of alternative source of income. Ironically, a few villages had almost all residents involved in illicit liquor making. The issues were discussed at length with colleagues. On ascertaining the details, they were able to spot a few villages which were worst affected. One of the places with the highest concentration of such cases was a small village of Chaynpurwa in Ramnagar tehsil of the district. This became the centre of the initiative.