Fear of widowhood fuels anti-liquor drive in village
GHATSILA: Pathri, in Bahragora block of East Singhbhum, is a small village comprising only 200 families. However, this is a village which has been visited by tragedy on multiple occasions, and the women of this village hold only one thing responsible — alcohol.
At least 25 young wives have become widows in the last two years after their alcoholic husbands succumbed to their addition, leading to the women of the village leading a rebellion against the manufacture, sale and consumption of liquor in the village.
The women launched their campaign against liquor on Monday by raiding distilleries and destroying bottles of country liquor. The women have also handed over a memorandum to the local police seeking help in banning alcohol in the village.
Led by mukhiya Mallika Hembrom and panchayat samiti member Urmila Nayak, the women have also taken an oath to not allow anyone in the panchayat to consume liquor and to save women from turning widows due to the addiction of men.
“Liquor has been the cause of death of so many young men in the village that almost every alternate family has a widow here. To save our sisters from leading the life of a widow, we have launched our protest,” Hembrom said.
Village head Suresh Singh said, “In last three years 25 women in the age bracket of 25 -45 years lost their husband due to liquor menace. None of them get widow pension yet and all face problems in bringing up their children.”
He said that in a bid to make more profit, many distilleries add urea and other harmful chemicals to it which may prove fatal, adding that due to the consumption of spurious liquor, many youths are also bedridden in the village and suffer from various diseases.
Baharagora police station officer in-charge Uttam Kumar Tiwari has rendered his support to the women and has assured all possible support.
“Liquor addiction has been a problem here throughout. The police is ready to render all possible help to the protesting women,” he said.