Hooch Tragedy In Golaghat Takes The State Assembly By Storm

GUWAHATI: While spurious liquor (sulai) has taken its heavy toll in Golaghat and Jorhat districts, legislators, cutting across party lines, have taken the State Assembly by storm.

Besides a stormy walkout by the Congress, the State Assembly witnessed a stormy debate on the hooch tragedy on Monday. The discussion, disrupted with hot altercations needing the Speaker’s intervention to iron out differences, elicited a few vital facts. The discussion has brought it to the fore that the illegal brewing and sale of sulai is a practice going on in tea estates over the years, a nexus between a section of Excise officials and those running the illegal business thriving in the State, lack of any measures from the garden management to put an end to the menace etc. While some feel the necessity of a massive awareness drive against sulai in tea estates, a few others raise the demand for declaring Assam a dry State. The House was unanimous that a high-level probe into the tragedy is a must. It has also taken the decision to send an all-party delegation for an on-the-spot inspection to affected TEs in Golaghat and Jorhat districts.

Earlier in the day, as soon as the Assembly started its business, Congress moved an adjournment motion with the demand that the hooch tragedy should be discussed by setting aside other business of the day. To this, the ruling party and the Speaker said that they were also eager to discuss the issue, but without adjourning other business of the House. They wanted to discuss the matter during the Zero Hour. Offended at this, the Congress staged a stormy walkout shouting slogans against the government.

When the House resumed its business, the discussion began during the Zero Hour and continued for long six hours. Initiating the discussion, senior AGP MLA Brindabon Goswami said: “Though there’s an Excise law in the State, it’s far from being implemented on the ground. Only earning more revenue won’t do. Alcohol has spoiled our young generation.”

Ajanta Neog of the Congress said: “Eyewitnesses had made me aware of a thriving nexus between some Excise officials and those running the sulai business illegally in the State. The nexus has to be busted. How come the illegal brewers use laaligur, a banned substance, in making sulai? It has to be judicially inquired into. The need of the hour is a massive awareness drive against sulai in tea gardens.”

AGP president Atul Bora said: “It’s known to everybody that sulai is being sold openly in tea estates. The moot point is: what the Excise department does. Had the department taken measures on time, the catastrophe could have been averted.”

AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam said: “There’s a common allegation that various political parties distribute liquor in tea gardens when the election is around. Why can’t Dispur declare Assam a dry State?”

Teros Goala of the BJP said: “Distribution of liquor in tea gardens before every election is a tradition of sorts. We need a massive awareness drive against liquor in tea estates.”

Rakibul Hussain of the Congress said: “This is a social evil that needs united efforts to get rid of. I suggest an on-the-spot visit to the tragedy-struck TEs by an all-party delegation of this House.”

Ramendra Narayan Kalita of the AGP said: “The involvement of Excise and police officials in the illegal sulai business is glaring. How come banned laaligur comes to Assam for use in sulai? Why don’t the police stop this menace? Laaligur is used as fodder in other States. However, it is used as a raw material for making sulai in Assam.”

State Tea Welfare Minister Pallab Lochan Das said: “Every MLA should take the lead to demolish all illegal breweries in his/her constituency. The MLAs should rope in women self-help groups of their constituencies in such drives.”

Sanjay Kisan of the BJP said: “Why don’t garden managements stop open sale of sulai in their estates? Tea garden managements should also be held responsible in such hooch tragedies.”

Roselina Tirkey of the Congress said held trade unions, tea estate managements and the government responsible for the tragedy.

The Speaker had to intervene repeatedly as and when hot altercations cropped up. He successfully fashioned the discussion towards its conclusion with the plea that what the issue needed was a solution, not hot debates.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan then Patowary said: “The Excise Department has already made the Excise Act stricter – lengthening imprisonment terms and increasing the amounts of fines. Seven cases have already been filed in police stations in Golaghat and Jorhat against sulai traders. Forensic Science Laboratory has already collected sulai samples. The need of the hour is a united drive against sulai in the State.”

Excise Minister Parimal Sukladaibya said: “Though the Excise Department has been held responsible for the tragedy, the fact remains that Excise officials have to work under deputy commissioners in districts. In the past two years, there’ve been massive drives against illegal breweries, leading to the arrest of some thousands. Besides increasing the terms of punishment up to three years, fines have also been hiked up to Rs 5 lakh. The increase in Excise revenue in the State is not because of more sales of liquor, but because of plugging various holes in the revenue collection system. Even if anybody wants me to resign, I’m ready to step down.”

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