Imkong Walling
The Government of Nagaland finally taking what is assumed to be a bold move to “revisit” the contentious alcohol prohibition law would perhaps be the biggest state-centric news at present.
About a month ago, in July, rumour had it that the government was making a serious push for listing the failed alcohol prohibition law up for discussion in the 2024 monsoon Assembly session. The rumoured move, while it lifted spirits in some, garnered hardly any attention in the general populace.
It was passed off as yet another case of wishful thinking, with even a legislator in the Neiphiu Rio-led ruling coalition, as reported then by The Morung Express, expressing pessimism that the government would make such a move.
In retrospection, however, the rumour did hold some iota of truth.
If the Minister for Power and Parliamentary Affairs is to be believed, the upcoming Assembly session would have the Government of Nagaland finally giving a health check-up to a now unwelcome 35 years-old brainchild, also known as, the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition (NLTP) Act, 1989.
The Minister, KG Kenye, the ruling government’s go-to Spokesperson, took to the press, on August 22, announcing that the prohibition law was slated for discussion in the monsoon session scheduled on August 27 and 29.
The move has had the Nagaland Baptist Church Council, up in arms, which regards proscribing alcohol a conscientious victory, a divine calling. Utter failure to curb the want of its flock has, however, brought into the question the moral-keeper’s positioning, and thereby, the applicability.
To the church it is a matter of Biblical teachings prevailing over worldly revenue needs. On the otherhand, discontent is what faces the NLTP Act, especially, with regard to the futility of it; and the church’s tendency to trivialising freewill.
It remains to be seen which side the discussion would tilt to—strengthening implementation or loosening church/state control on conscientious individual discretion. Going by the words, like ‘relook, revisit and amendment,’ used by Kenye, it can well be assumed the Neiphiu Rio-led ruling coalition is pushing for reviewing a law that was enacted under pressure from the church lobby.
As opposed to a history of chickening out, the government likely means business, this time around. The church also appears set on ensuring the government move fails.
But one thing is certain, whichever side the argument tilts, alcohol will flow either way.
The writer is a Principal Correspondent at The Morung Express. Comments can be sent to imkongwalls@gmail.com
