comes, ironically, from Gandhi's Dandi March (also called Salt March) 75 years ago, which protested the salt laws of the British rule in India. Gandhi, who also said that you have the duty to disobey unjust laws, was the chief proponent of an alcohol-free India. One of our objectives is to make a case that the context under which Gandhi instituted prohibition is not valid today. Today, alcohol prohibition in Gujarat is an outdated, corruption and crime breeding, short sighted law which must be systematically removed. Keeping up with Bapu's spirit, the Maltmarch community plans to march to the Sachivalay and have a drink in defiance of the prohibition law (date undecided). 
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Aye to Tobacco, Nay to Alcohol. Why?
Politicians in Gujarat have longed harped on ill effects of Alcohol and have time and again drawn references from Gandhiji's speeches. Why has alcohol been the only one to bear the brunt? All aware of the increasing use of tobacco in varied forms, especially gutka in Gujarat. In fact the consumption of Gujarat in most regions has gone to appalling levels threatening fatal infections.
If Hindus, Muslims, Christian, Sikhs and Gandhians can live togeher peacefully....
Why not drinkers and teetotalers? We have accepted secularism as the idealogy for our nation, whereby even religion is allowed as a freedom of choice, why not drinking which is a part of many cultures and religion such as christianity, sikhs, and also some tribes? The Gandhians imposing teetotalism on the rest of us is like the Taliban imposing strict "moral" code on everyone under their rule in Afghanistan. Forced imposing of moral values just doesn't work - although, unfortunately, it can last a hell of a lot of time, as with the prohibition because the supressors play on the fear of the population. If the current politicians playing on the fears of the population by staging anti-prohibition movement had been around Gandhiji's time, they would have tried to dissuade him from a secular, democratic India and, instead, opted for a socialist, religious fundamentalist nation. And we know that everyone has a different understanding of religion, just like different Gandhians have of Gandhiji's idealism.
Shankarsinh Vaghela & the Gandhians: Hypocrisy endorsed!
What is the point behind the Gandhians supporting Shankarsinh Vaghela, who they admitted (to the MaltMarchers) is for nothing but political gain from his fasting at the Gandhi Ashram? Under the short time that the Vaghela Government was in power in 1997, they gave out more liquor shop licenses to hotels in Gujarat than any other Govt., not to mention the liquor permits given out. Would Gandhiji have supported their meddling in political games in the name of his idealogy? If Vaghela forms a Govt. tomorrow and continues on his own mockery of the prohibition by giving out more licences as he has done in the past, what will the Gandhians do? Stage a satyagraha with the Modi govt. and cry fowl over the Vaghela Govt.? Please stop this and move on. Gandhians, please realize that you will not be out of a job if prohibition is lifted, there are a lot of things Gandhiji stood for and Prohibition, in its current form, is not one of them. Gandhianism, and the idea of non violence, is a philosophy of being more moral than your enemy which induces the moral code in your oppressor to withdraw. If that is the strategy behind their actions, I ask them to rethink about who the oppressor is in this case and about their actions.
There's chaos.....then there's roots....there ought to be some booze
As Amdavadis regale in the chaos [IIMA], with the roots [CEPT] not far behind....I and my friend raise a toast to the freeing spirit of this city, that has grown to know of some more nights of revelry besides the nine [thanks to these esteemed institutions]....Paradoxical though it may seem but our toast was behind closed doors, and in hushed tones, lest the neighbours may hear.
And as i pondered on the freedom to stand there, with a beer in a hand and listen to the music.....the thoughts of the relation between music and Alcohol crossed my mind.
I'm sure all of us in somewhere or the other have seen this. There exists a correlaton between these two. Music traditionally has been in the company of Drinks...Remember Umrao Jaan or the classics of Elvis. Even in UK and Ireland the pub culture has significantly changed the music. Traditional music moved into the pubs when the idea of playing for listening and not for dancing became important. The same goes for India where music is far more for listening...Gazals, the indian music form is the best companion of any drinker.
Former Disinvestment Minister Arun Shourie, a teetotaler, says Says Gandhi wouldn't have favoured prohibition
At a function held by Federation of Gujarat Industries (FGI) in Vadodara last year, former Union Disinvestment Minister Arun Shourie came down heavily on Gujarat's prohibition policy. Shourie advised the Gujarat government to scrap the policy and said that it was hypocritical and corrupting. A teetotaler himself, Shourie was of the opinion that the policy could be scrapped without harming Gandhian principles. "We need to liberate our notions on many things. Prohibition is one of them. We have only held that portion of Gandhi that has helped the smugglers (bootleggers). If the prohibition policy is scrapped in state, the government could raise Rs 1,500 crore which could be used for the welfare of weaker sections of the society".
CNN-IBN coverage on MaltMarch.org
Farcical Prohibition
Why do our govt always tries to act as the big brother? Why cant they trust people to behave with maturity? If the janta is mature enough to vote you to power, they are mature enough to take their own decision with regard to what they think is good for them. Be it the censorship, night clubs or drinking, the politicians are unable to give the benefit of doubt to the people and trust their judgment. I am appaled by their hypocracies. Who are they to decide on what people should see or do. We have voted them to power to give us good governance, which they conveniently forget anyway, and not pass judgement on people's behavior.
Mahatma - Father of Nation
Drinking is a fundamental right of human. Being a biggest democratic country of the world, India should think about it's progress. I am not saying we should forget the values of Mahatma Gandhi - he is still and will be the BAPU and Father of the nation but even he would not want Gujarat to hit so many bad waves (earthquake, droughts, terrorist attacks, floods etc.) and not see a growth scale of economics.
I have read most of the books of Mahatma Gandhi - I respect him like every Indians do. He is Father of Freedom and Father of every Indian, his quotes and his saying clearly states that he wanted to see India on a RISE. Even Mahatma Gandhi once said - "I want freedom for the full expression of my personality".
Drinking is not alcoholism
The most common reason cited in favour of prohibition is the prevention of alcoholism. We all know that alcoholism is a disease and alcoholics are known to have debt-ridden lives, beating wives and children and generally wasting themselves away. People who turn to alcoholism are usually those who cannot stand stress and are either weak or irresponsible individuals. Their alcoholism is just a manifestation of their inner selves. But all those who drink are not alcoholics. We need to make a serious distinction between the two. Responsible drinking as a concept is possible. For example, in many countries where laws are very strict about drinking and driving, people don't touch their cars even after just one pint of beer (which hardly alters the senses!).
Countries which tried prohibition but failed, countries that still have prohibition, and countries with double-standards
India wasn't the only country to have been inspired by the short-lived prohibition in the US (1920-22), many countries around that time were experimenting with this "noble" but "unfounded" ideology.
Here are the countries that imposed total prohibition of alcohol consumption & production, only to repeal it later:
- 1920 to 1933 in the United States
- 1914 to 1925 in Russia and the Soviet Union
- 1915 to 1922 in Iceland (beer was still prohibited until 1989 because the bill removing prohibition in 1922 mistakenly did not mention it)
- 1916 to 1927 in Norway (wine and beer also included in 1917)
- 1919 to 1932 in Finland (called kieltolaki)
- 1901 to 1948 in Prince Edward Island, and for shorter periods in other locations in Canada
- 1914 to 1955 Sweden utilized a rationing system (not prohibition)
Countries that still have Total Prohibition:
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