Nupi Samaj on Monday announced that Meira Paibis across the state will launch intensified agitations across the state if the government fails to inform the public whether the state cabinet decision on ‘Liquor Legalisation’ will be withdrawn or not by October 10.
Nupi Samaj advisor K Indu made the announcement on the sidelines of a one-day sit-in protest that was staged at the community hall of Mayan Langjing, Imphal West.
The protest was jointly organised by Nupi Samaj and Mayang Langjing Semgat Sagatpa Nupi Lup. She said the decision of the government to lift prohibition on liquor was a hasty decision of the government as it should be discussed with the people of the state.
It is unfortunate that the state cabinet’s decision on lifting of prohibition on liquor has made the efforts which have been taking up since decades to ban intoxicants by the ‘Imas’ and Meira Paibis useless, she added.
Various forms of democratic agitations spearheaded by Nupi Samaj are being undertaken but the government has turned deaf ears to the demands, she said. If the government fails to withdraw the state cabinet decision on legalisation of liquor within the given deadline, intensified forms of agitations will be launched from the next following day, said Indu.
She said, the womenfolk of the state will never accept the decision of the state government on liquor legalisation. “If the womenfolk are going to become mothers of an inebriated society, it would be better to lay down our lives,” she said.
She further appealed to the government to let the public know whether the state cabinet decision is to be withdrawn or not by October 10.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister N Biren Singh had expressed earlier that the state cabinet decision of lifting the prohibition on liquor from Manipur was not a hasty decision but it was taken after discussing at various levels.
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He had also expressed earlier in various platforms that the issue was also discussed on the assembly floor during the last government, and the House also instructed to create a committee in order to find out the ground report on the quality of DIC liquors of Manipur.
Also, the CM had also expressed earlier that the state government is ready to manufacture beer from the locally available products in order to export them as well as sell them in the state.
Besides, Coalition Against Drugs and Alcohol (CADA) has been demanding the state government to produce a white paper regarding the state cabinet decision on liquor legalisation.
