A group of women from Papadahandi block in Odisha's tribal-dominated Nabarangpur district have joined hands to curb the sale and consumption of liquor in their villages.
Determined to protect their families, they have resolved to impose fines not only on those selling liquor but also on those consuming it.
“By drinking liquor, men are destroying the peace and economy of their families. They even snatch away the money women earn and spend it on alcohol. We want to save our families and our village,” said Sangita Parichha, a ward member of Kantasaru under Maidalpur panchayat.
Women from Kantasaru, Rabnguda and Mandiguda villages launched the protest after witnessing alcohol abuse in daily life. “Men start drinking at dawn. Even the youth have fallen prey to this habit,” lamented another villager.
Villagers said poverty drives people to buy cheap, country-made liquor, which has already claimed young lives. The women gheraoed the Papadahandi excise office, which assured steps to curb illicit trade.
The agitation is gathering more ground. “My husband died because of liquor. Despite my pleas, he could not quit. Now I must raise two sons and a daughter alone,” said Damyanti Patra of Mayurbhanj district, adding she would also campaign against alcohol.
However, the movement faces a challenge as the state depends heavily on excise revenue. Odisha collected ₹49,857.47 crore over the past decade, with 3,859 liquor shops currently operating.
Veteran Gandhian and Milita Odisha Nisha Nibarana Abhijan (MONNA) president Padma Charan Nayak, 99, said, “We need political will to make Odisha liquor-free. If Bihar can impose prohibition, why can’t Odisha?” He also reminded that the BJP promised prohibition by 2029 in its manifesto.
Meanwhile, the excise department’s Enforcement Special Drive against illicit liquor and narcotics entered its eighth day on Monday. Contraband worth ₹1.21 crore was seized in raids. Officials registered 258 cases and arrested 147 persons.