Take the challenge of liquor-free Subbayyapalli

Subbayyapalli, a village in Greater Warangal, has achieved total prohibition with the initiatives of womenfolk. The village takes pride in proclaiming its achievement.

Any visitor to the village can get the message loud and clear from the writing on the wall: "This village attained total probhibition." This village can be a model for many rural parts in and around Warangal district and of course the other rural Telangana districts too.

A survey of a research group conducting liquor consumption habits in the rural parts of Telangana revealed that about 70 per cent of the villages in rural Telangana were facing the issues related to deaths due to liquor consumption at frequent intervals and the illicit liquor brewing is still prevalent in about 10 per cent to 15 per cent of the tribal localities spread across rural Telangana.

Though the occurrence of deaths and intensity of the liquor consumption habit was not in equilibrium in almost all the rural parts, women in these localities were forced to face the domestic pressures consequent to the excessive consumption of liquor in many parts.

The survey felt that about 70 per cent of the male deaths occurred in the rural parts in the age group of 28 to 45 years only due to excessive consumption of liquor and addiction to drinking.

Most of the accidents involving youth sometimes fatally were attributed to "liquor consumption" as the prime reason. Liquor consumption has become a formality during functions in rural localities. This often led to clumsy scuffles and quarrels after consumption of liquor which marred the celebrations.

In many rural parts we find young widows in the age group of 25 to 45 years. The families of these widows are physically, mentally, socio- economically and culturally deprived of the normal family lives.

The habit of boozing of their family heads initially inflicts ill-health and later transform into a pathetic tale where they are compelled to lose their lives.

In many parts of the rural Telangana this remained a common phenomenon and many youngsters lost their lives addicted to the habit of liquor consumption in excessive quantities.

Under these circumstances, the Subbayyapalli kind of rural parts can be viewed as guiding force to many localities at least in the aspect of discouraging the belt shops in their localities and desisting their inhabitants not to take to the habit of liquor consumption in their vicinity.

The writing on the board of the village delineates that their call can be carried forward by other adjoining parts initially and the surroundings in the coming days.

Ravi, the village youth, says their village could give a clarion call to the other localities not to encourage liquor sales and not to have a belt shop in their vicinity.

Though many have not come out openly the belt shop presence in the rural parts is making the commoners' lives problematic and if not completely, the Subbayyapalli example is providing them a solution to practice self-imposed prohibition.