Raqif
The political environment of Kashmir refuses to calm down. Every new day, Kashmir sees itself gripped in a new political tussle. Political parties, including their supporters, indulge in tussles almost every next day on some new topic. The common public finds itself completely confused between these tussles. They voted for betterment but got political entertainment. “Ye public sab janti hai” was said for the people of Kashmir. People here in Kashmir are politically aware and know the reality of each political party and political leader. But people here are so fed up with seeing all the unnecessary tussles that they have decided to concentrate on their own day-to-day work and let the politicians do theirs. The hope and excitement they voted for is all gone. People no longer expect anything from this government. But the only thing they get is “Drama”.
Farooq Abdullah back in 2011 spoke about reopening “cinemas”. I believe his party men have taken it upon themselves that the cinemas are reopened. As Gen Z says, “Absolute cinema”. Each day Kashmir gets to see absolute cinema. One party accusing another of doing what they themselves did under cover till it became such a big hazard that it now needs to be controlled or it’ll become the same way as drug addiction.
The history of alcohol in Jammu and Kashmir goes back to 1984, when Jammu and Kashmir got its Excise Act, which laid down the norms for the sale and consumption of alcohol. Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad was the Prime Minister back then when the Excise Act of J&K came into existence. His nod allowed the sale of alcohol in Jammu and Kashmir. What began as a first shop on the banks of Boulevard is now something easily available anytime. Looking back into the history of Kashmir having shops where people get their bottles, it doesn’t date back just to the ’90s but to the ’80s. As per the records available, wine shops date back to the 1850s. The wine shops in Kashmir are no ordinary shops. They tell the stories of how deeply people of Kashmir consume and enjoy it. A shop established in 1964 is one of the prominent wine shops of Srinagar, with a license that provides hundreds of brands. Kashmir isn’t new to such fantasies. It’s not because the people of Kashmir or Jammu have long been associated with it, but because of the Dogra rule in Kashmir, which played a very significant role in making alcohol common in Kashmir. During the Dogra Era (1846–1947), the Gupkar area of Srinagar was a massive vineyard and a “money-minting machine” for the monarchy, with distilleries operational as early as the late 19th century.
The hard-hitting fact is that Jammu and Kashmir, even after being a Muslim-majority state, has never seen a complete alcohol ban. In the ’90s, the ban on alcohol was never official, but something that came out of fear. But when that fear left the room, it started again.
As the sky turns black, people start moving towards the shops to buy their favourite brands. There used to be a belief that consuming alcohol was wrong. Now there is nothing like the shame of being an alcoholic. We see young boys and grown men walking on roads drunk. No doubt Kashmir has a very long history of alcohol, but there used to be shame connected to being an alcoholic, and now it’s no more there. The song “Haan Haan Mai Alcoholic Hu” used to be just a song. Now it’s a flex. People flex their habit of being alcoholic. I fail to understand how people flex being an alcoholic. Anyone can lay his or her hands on a bottle. You just have to pay the bucks and you will get your quarter.
There are different ways to consume alcohol. Some like it with water, some with cold drinks, some with Red Bull, and many without mixing anything. Depending on their taste and how they prefer to have it. Normalization is the worst thing that can happen to any society. And the worst has happened to Kashmir. The justification for consuming alcohol is that they at least don’t consume drugs. Well wait — won’t excessive consumption of alcohol kill a person? Yes, it will, the same way an overdose does. Be it heroin or Red Label, both can cause death and serious health issues. Nothing is benefiting you; both things are draining your finances and making your health a concern.
While a bill by a Legislative Assembly member was introduced, a ruling party MLA opposed the bill, saying that Kashmir is a tourist state and banning alcohol shall cast a shadow on state revenue and tourism. The statement evoked sharp criticism from the people, after which the MLA had to clarify his statement. But the damage was already done, and the people by then got to know that they don’t want to ban it simply because they don’t want the tourism of the state to be affected.
The statement by the ruling party MLA was dying down, but the statement of his party Vice President, who is also the Chief Minister of the Union Territory, made people recall the statement, and now it’s everywhere on X.
Omar Abdullah, in a statement, said, “Nobody is being forced to consume alcohol” and that existing shops cater to those whose faith allows it. He clarified that his government is not promoting consumption but focusing on regulation. He even added that the shops are open for those whose religion allows them to consume it. But soon after, it evoked a strong response from the public. The Chief Minister said that it was a mistake that he spoke on it without fully explaining his position regarding the issue. He also said that the opposition is twisting the facts.
Accepting that his facts got twisted — but what about the statement of his party president, who without any fear said that alcohol shall only be banned “if” the Centre compensates the revenue losses?
In between “if” and “revenue”, we are losing a generation. Who will compensate the future?
