This week, the women of Karnataka took out a 400 km march from Raichur to Bangalore demanding a ban on liquor. Goa saw a new law that bans drinking on the beach. Gujarat, Nagaland, Lakshwadeep and Kerala are states that have a complete ban on liquor as of today. States like Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Mizoram and Manipur are states who have experimented with partial or complete liquor ban, but the ban was removed due to various reasons such as change in government, negative feedback from public, widespread of smuggling and sale of illicit liquor. On this episode of We The People, we ask whether India should have a liquor ban. What would be the effect of such a ban? But does prohibition work? Does it bring down crime, especially crimes against women and domestic violence? Does it lead to a healthier society, especially among the poorer class? Or is it a sham with reports of liquor being easily accessible in prohibition states courtesy a booming liquor mafia? Does it lead to a corruption and crime nexus between smugglers, police, politicians and officials? Is it also short-term-vote-bank politics with prohibition being very popular among women voters?
