Dire consequences in Tamil Nadu over 'refusal to heed' Rajaji's advice on prohibition

By NS Venkataraman*
C Rajagopalachari (popularly known as Rajaji) was recognised in his time as one amongst the most enlightened intellectuals in India. Apart from being a freedom fighter, Rajaji excelled in several other areas and was a great writer, speaking and writing on variety of subjects including world peace and disarmament, need to promote free enterprises, moral and ethical value in public life, religions and so on.
Rajaji was born on December 10th December, 1878 and passed away on December 25th 1972 and lived for 93 years.
On Rajaji’s recent birth day on 10th December, 2022, the day largely passed off without the people in India or the people in Tamil Nadu to which state Rajaji belongs, celebrating his birthday, recognising his contribution to the progress of the country and his achievements.
Of course, Tamil Nadu Governor paid tributes to Rajaji n th Raj Bhavan and a few state ministers garlanded his statue elsewhere. This event was not even reported in most section of the media. This is unlike the way that the nation observes the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhai Patel. Former President Dr Radhakrishnan’s birthday is celebrated as teacher’s day every year.
In this scenario, non-observance of Rajaji’s birth anniversary on 10th December, 2022 adequately to remember his contribution is conspicuous and unfortunate.
Mahatma Gandhi hailed Rajaji as his conscience keeper, which is the ultimate tribute for Rajaji’s sense of honesty and courage of conviction. Later , Gandhiji declared that Rajaji was his successor. He further told that “Rajaji sees at least six months ahead of him”.
There are several instances that revealed Rajaji’s capability to think beyond his time and make his views clear and providing advice to the existing governments. Unfortunately, a number of his valid suggestions were not accepted by those in power at that time and the value of some of his suggestions were realized much later and implemented.

Rajaji’s view on prohibition

Amongst many of Rajaji’s suggestions of far reaching importance, let us take only one, namely his call for implementing total prohibition in Tamil Nadu.
On a rainy Tuesday evening on July 20, 1971, Rajaji, in his ripe age, met the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Karunanidhi at his residence and pleaded against lifting prohibition, which Rajaji believed would hurt future generations adversely. It was reported that Rajaji, the former Governor General of India, was made to wait for some time for the meeting which took place for 20 minutes .

It is reported that more than 50% of men folk in Tamil Nadu have succumbed to liquor habit

Sadly, this advice was not accepted by the then Chief Minister Karunanidhi and his government, which lifted prohibition. The adverse consequences of such decision are seen today in Tamil Nadu.

During the last six decades after the lifting of prohibition by the then DMK government, the liquor habit amongst the people of Tamil Nadu have increased by leaps and bounds. It is reported that more than 50% of men folk in Tamil Nadu have succumbed to liquor habit and even youth and students in the teen age have started taking liquor. What is alarming is that even women are now slowly falling to the liquor habit. It was really shocking to hear the recent news that school going girl students joined together and consumed beer in public.
With widespread liquor habit steadily developing in Tamil Nadu, the social fabric of the state have been uprooted and life of women, in whose family menfolk have taken to liquor habit, have become hell like. Women are being beaten, harassed and left without earnings of the menfolk, who spend their earnings on liquor. Many believe that in such condition, Tamil Nadu will be moving towards socially unstable state with value system in life going for a toss.
Rajaji anticipated all these problems and pleaded with the then DMK Chief Minister, who did not listen to him. Tamil Nadu is now paying the price.
There is no indication that conditions will improve in the near future, as Tamil Nadu government is now heavily dependent on liquor sale income , even though liquor habit is causing social and family disturbance to an extreme level.
There can be so many other instances where Rajaji anticipated events, as he could think beyond his time.
It is sad that such a great person is not adequately remembered today, with younger generation not being well informed of the role model like Rajaji, who lived with great wisdom.
---
*Trustee, Nandini Voice For The Deprived, Chennai

Comments

'Enough evidence' in Indian tradition to support legal basis for same-sex marriage

By Iyce Malhotra, Joseph Mathai, Sandeep Chachra* The ongoing hearing in the Supreme Court on same-sex marriage provides space for much-needed conversations on issues that have hitherto remained “invisible” or engaged with patriarchal locker room humour. We must recognize that people with diverse sexualities and complex gender identities have faced discrimination, stigma and decades of oppression. Their issues have mainly remained buried in dominant social discourse, and many view them with deep insecurities.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Victim of communal violence, Christians in Manipur want Church leadership to speak up

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ* The first eleven days of May 2023 have, in many ways, been a defining period of Indian history! Plenty has happened in a rapid-fire stream of events. Ironically, each one of them are indicators of how crimes and the criminalisation of society has become the ‘new norm’; these include, the May Day rallies with a focus on the four labour codes which are patently against the rights of workers; the U S Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its Annual Report on 1 May stating that conditions for religious freedom in India “continued to worsen in 2022”; the continued protest by the Indian women wrestlers at Jantar Mantar for the expulsion of the chief of the Indian Wrestlers Federation on very serious allegations; the Elections in Karnataka on 10 May (with communalism and corruption as the mainstay); the release of the fake, derogative and insensitive film ‘The Kerala Story’; the release of World Free Press Index on 3 May which places India

Unlike other revolutionaries, Hindutva icon wrote 5 mercy petitions to British masters

By Shamsul Islam* The Hindutva icon VD Savarkar of the RSS-BJP rulers of India submitted not one, two,or three but five mercy petitions to the British masters! Savarkarites argue: “There are no evidences to prove that Savarkar collaborated with the British for his release from jail. In fact, his appeal for release was a ruse. He was well aware of the political developments outside and wanted to be part of it. So he kept requesting for his release. But the British authorities did not trust him a bit” (YD Phadke, ‘A complex Hero’, "The Indian Expres"s, August 31, 2004)

Polygamy in India "down" in 45 yrs: Muslims' from 5.7 to 2.55%, Hindus' 5.8 to 1.77%, "common" in SCs, STs

By Rajiv Shah Amidst All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) justifying polygamy, saying it “meets social and moral needs and the provision for it stems from concern and sympathy for women”, facts suggest the the practice is down from 5.7 per cent of Muslim families in 1961 to 2.55 per cent in 2006.

India joining US sponsored trade pillar to hurt Indian farmers, 'promote' GM seeds, food

Counterview Desk As many as 32 civil society organisations (CSOs), in a letter to Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and India joining the trade pillar, have said that its provisions will allow the US to ensure a more favourable regulatory regime “for enhancing its exports of genetically modified (GM) seeds and GM food”, underlining, it will “significantly hurt the livelihoods of Indian farmers.”

Modi govt 'wholly untrustworthy' on Covid data, censored criticism on pandemic: Lancet

By Rajiv Shah* One of the world’s most prestigious health journals, brought out from England, has sharply criticised the Narendra Modi government for being “wholly untrustworthy on Covid-19 health data”, stating, the “official government figures place deaths at more than 530 000, while WHO excess death estimates for 2020 and 2021 are near 4·7 million.”

Savarkar 'opposed' Bhagat Singh's, Netaji's dream of India, supported British war efforts

By Shamsul Islam* In a shocking development, the student wing of the RSS put the busts of martyrs Bhagat Singh and Subhash Chandra Bose with Savarkar's on one pedestal at the University of Delhi late in the night on August 20, 2019. Bhagat Singh sacrificed his life for a socialist-democratic-secular republic and Netaji raised Azad Hind Fauj (INA) consisting of people of all religions and regions for armed liberation of India.

Undermining law, breastfeeding? Businesses 'using' celebrities to promote baby food

By Rajiv Shah* A report prepared by the top child welfare NGO, Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI), has identified as many as 15 offenders allegedly violating the Indian baby food law, the Infant Milk Substitutes Feeding Bottles, and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act 1992, and Amendment Act 2003 (IMS Act), stating, compliance with the law “seems to be dwindling by the day.”

Search This Blog