Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): The residents of three villages – Dewari Naveen, Tinheta and Baribara – in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh treat a drop of liquor as Devil’s spirit.
They believe the invisible spirit of wine that enters through the mouth steals away brains and destroys families.
Therefore, those who enter one of these three villages avoid carrying that spirit. Else, they have to pay Rs 10,000, because they know this is not like a false vow made in wine. It really happens there.
All these villages come under Dewari Naveen Panchayat of the district. Head of the Panchayat Ramkumar Saiyam says that around 12 years have passed since the villagers kept away from tippling.
It all began around 12 years ago when the women of these villages launched a campaign to end the consumption of liquor, Saiyam says.
Ramkumar Saiyam | FP Photo
Saiyam says when he took over as head of the Panchayat in 2015, he told everyone to treat wine as an enemy and not to let it cross the Panchayat boundaries within which 2,000 people live.
The story does not end here. To implement the norms made by the Panchayat, a woman complained against her drunkard husband. The man was asked to pay a fine of Rs 10,000.
In another case, a youth was penalised for thumbing down the rules. Saiyam says that a committee was formed to deal with the alcoholics living in the Panchayat, 55km away from the district headquarters.
More than a dozen incidents of violation of norms cropped up, Saiyam says, adding that as the tipplers have been heavily fined, they never look at it.
Jay Singh Barkade | FP Photo
Head of Dewari Naveen village Jay Singh Barkade says that it was possible because women took the initiative to drive away the enemy called liquor.
It was they who used to disclose the name of the drunkards and the money received as fine from the boozers was used to help the poor, Barkade says.
Jhuma Bai | FP Photo
A female head of the village Jhuma Bai says that liquor was made at different places in the village and sold at its every nook.
The situation had come to such a pass that everyone, especially the elderly and the youth, got addicted to it, she says.
It severely hit the lives of women and children, so they resolved to launch a drive to keep people away from alcohol, and the Panchayat passed certain rules against the boozers, Jhuma adds.
At outset, the drinkers tried to shelve the norms, but as they were penalised, the hamlet became free from the hard stuff, she says.
(with inputs from Shiv Choubey)
