Prohibition in India is the great need of today. India is a poor country where majority of people are bound to live below poverty line. In such a condition it is an offence if a person is in habit of drinking. Perhaps therefore efforts have been made from time to time to drive out this evil practice from our society. Many great reformers have also tried their best to prevent people from drinking. Mahatma Gandhi was deadly against it and he advocated for total prohibition in India.
Prohibition, thus, means prohibiting the people from taking alcoholic drinks and drugs. It means prohibiting by law the manufacture, distribution, sale, consumption and import of intoxicating drugs, drinks or liquors.
But unfortunately drinking is still in existence in our country. Some people take it as a mark of fashion, while some develop this bad habit out of frustration or in the company of their friends. Whatever may be the reason, it is undisputable that drinking is one of the greatest evils which give birth to many other evils.
In India, it has been seen that people who do not afford to fulfil even the primary necessities of life, manage some money to spend it on drinking. Drinking makes a man lose his wisdom, his thinking power. He can not distinguish between good and bad. This situation leads to crime. That is why a drunkard often beats his wife, deprives the children of their share necessary for their growth from his income, and often sells his household articles. Moreover, drinking is harmful to health. It harms the liver in particular.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Drug addiction is the worst social evil of modern civilisation. It is spreading like cancer. The misguided and frustrated adults of our society are the prey of this bad habit. Mostly of rich families, these people are becoming habitual of using drugs such as heroin, smack, opium, charas, cocaine, ganja and brown sugar.
So, prohibition is our greatest necessity. But there are many people who argue against it. They say that through prohibition the Government loses very good source of income. Besides, prohibition leads to illicit distillation which is more dangerous. Hence it is futile to raise voice against it.
But this can not advocate the fact that drinking would go on unchecked. The government must enforce prohibition even if it means loss in revenue. It should pass law making drinking a legal offence. It is the need of the hour to prepare public opinion against this great evil. People must be made aware of the fact that India has yet to achieve her goal. There are many big tasks before her to be handled. If her countrymen are engaged in bad practises, it will be very difficult for her to do something constructive. Hence, people in general must be discouraged so that they may leave the bad habit of drinking, if not instantly, slowly and slowly. They should also know the fact that the climate of their country does not match with the western countries. Hence, they should not try to imitate the addiction, which is a part of western culture.
Whatever may be the real situation, drinking is never glorified in our countiy. Instead, its evils are stressed in this way or that which is a good sign.