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 Today, alcohol prohibition in Gujarat is an outdated, corruption and crime breeding, short sighted law which must be systematically removed.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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MaltMarch's stand is that prohibition can be removed responsibly and systematically in Gujarat without sacrificing Gandhian principles or the concerns of pro-prohibitionists (politicians, cops, bootleggers not included). It can also be done in such a manner which reduces corruption & crime (which is at No. 5 in India per capita), benefits the underprivileged, increases governance across the state, and assist in lowering domestic violence by keeping alcohol out of reach of irresponsible citizens. The fear of the pro-prohibitionists is that these will increase if prohibition is removed, but ask any economist and she will give you a more informed and educated opinion. In other states in India, alcohol tax makes up more than 12% of the Government's revenues. In Gujarat, that chunk goes to organized crime and corrupt politicians who don't shy away from using any form of resources to make sure the "fear" of alcohol remains ever present, which in turn affects the vote bank. Its a self-fulfilling prophecy.
If you're like to know more about what MaltMarch Stands for, please click here.
CM relaxes prohibtion laws in SEZ's for "outsiders"
My first reaction to hearing our Government's new policy (relaxation of€¦) was positive. I was told that our CM announced "relaxation of prohibition policy" in special economic zones (SEZ's). I felt admiration for the Govt. for taking this progressive step, until I was told in simple words that "only outsiders and permit holders living in SEZ's will be able to drink, not the residents like you and I". Immediately, the picture that appeared in my head was of the British Clubs in India that carried the sign "Dogs and Indians not allowed" (one of these clubs even survived almost a decade after we got independence). While I do give some credit to our Government for taking this step in speeding the inevitable removal of prohibition, I feel this is narrow-sighted and undemocratic decision, which isn't even going to "lure" any investors into the state.
Gujarat: a state of denial
Is there is corelation between crime rate and prohibition?
Most of the pro-prohibition people I meet say prohibition is good because it keeps Gujarat crime free (ironically, many people have told me this while carrying a drink in their hand). That argument couldn't be more false. Here's a statistical analysis on states with highest crime rates- from this story. Its interesting to note that the beer & whisky guzzling, fun loving Punjabis have the lowest crime rate (per capita) in the country - in spite of Punjab's terrorism-tainted past. The figures below are from 2000, pre-Godhra incident and population figures are from the sensex. As the statistics below prove, prohibition does not lower crime. Cheers to that! (scroll down to view the statistics or download file)
Project Malt-March Revival
Our site was hacked and down for a few months. We expect to be up by end of December.
Cheers!
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