After desi liquor, Bihar bans sale of toddy

Patna: After thousands of 'desi' liquor shops were closed in rural Bihar following a partial liquor ban effective last Friday, the Nitish Kumar government has banned sale of 'toddy' also.

For millions of people in rural Bihar where toddy, locally called 'tadi', is considered the poor man's beer it came as a bad news. For ages, toddy has been a favourite of villagers as a natural drink from the palm tree.

With reports pouring in from across the state that a large number of people, including alcoholics, thronged toddy shops after the government banned 'desi' or, country-made liquor in rural areas, a fresh directive of banning sale of toddy is likely to trigger protest.

According to the Nitish Kumar government's decision, anyone found selling toddy would be arrested. But the government has no objection if anyone is skilled enough to tap toddy on his own for self-consumption.

Meanwhile, former chief minister and president of Hindustani Awam Morcha Jitan Ram Manjhi on Sunday opposed the latest ban, saying it was wrong to ban sale of toddy in Bihar after banning countrymade liquor.

"Toddy is also consumed as medicine and even I have consumed toddy for 15 days. It is not proper to ban its sale. Most of the people in toddy business are from the Dalit community and poor people. The state government should reconsider the ban on its sale," Manjhi said.

He said Rashtriya Janata Dal chief and former chief minister Lalu Prasad had declared toddy tax-free in Bihar to help people engaged in its business, particularly the 'Pasi' caste.

Unlike urban localities, the liquor ban has come into effect in entire rural Bihar as shops of 'desi', or country-made liquor, in 45,000 villages closed down late on Thursday night.