The lovely tale of Liquor
during Lockdown and before
At every stage, addiction is driven by one of the most powerful, mysterious, and
vital forces of human existence. What drives addiction is longing —
a longing not just of brain, belly, or loins but finally of the heart.
Cornelius Platinga
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The use of alcohol in India for drinking purposes dates back to somewhere between 3000 and 2000 BC. An alcoholic beverage called Sura which was distilled from the rice was popular at that time in India for common men to unwind at the end of a stressful day. . Yet the first mention of Alcohol appears in Rig Veda (1700BC). It mentions intoxicants like soma and prahamana. Although the soma plant might not exist today, it was famous for delivering a euphoric high. It was also recorded in the Samhita, the medical compendium of Sushruta that he who drinks soma will not age and will be impervious to fire, poison, or weapon attack. The sweet juice of Soma was also said to help establish a connection with the gods. Such was the popularity of alcohol. Initially used for medicinal purposes, with time it evolved and became the beverage that brought life to social gatherings, and eventually consuming alcohol has become a habit for many.
With such a rich history of not just humans but also of the gods,
what is a worldwide pandemic to stop anybody from drinking?
. . .
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According to a report released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2018, an average Indian drinks approximately 5.7 liters of alcohol every year. In a population of casual and excessive drinkers, with the shutters of liquor stores down, it must have been extremely difficult for “certain” people to survive lockdown. In the first two phases of lockdown, the desperation had quadrupled prices of alcohol in the Grey Market of India. Also, According to Google Trends, online searches for “how to make alcohol at home” peaked in India during the fourth week of March, which was the same when the lockdown was announced. As a consequence, a few people died drinking home-brewed liquor. People committed suicide due to alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Owing to the worsening situation and to reboot the economy, some states decided to open licensed liquor stores in the third phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic lockdown in India. This decision was the worst best decision the state governments could take. The kilometer-long queues in front of liquor stores were evidence that a pandemic can turn your life upside down yet your relationship with alcohol cannot move an inch.
The love in the hearts of those who are addicted was explicit. We might have seen addiction, we might have witnessed desperation but what happened in the month of May was madness, not just in terms of the way people pounced but also in the way the government earned. According to a report by Hindustan Times, on the first day of the third phase of Lockdown, the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh recorded a sale of over Rs 100 Crore from liquor. On the second day of the reopening of Liquor stores, Karnataka reported sales of 197 crores in a single day which was the largest ever. Eventually, the prices of Liquor were hiked to 100% to discourage people from drinking.
. . .
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There was a special corona fee that was imposed in Delhi by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. A 70% corona fee was imposed in Delhi, yet the sales did not drop. The entire situation was a disaster for the law enforcement officers, social distancing was easily abandoned and a basic code of conduct was happily violated. Despite the chaos created, the states continued to collect revenues. Home delivery of alcohol was allowed in Maharashtra and e-tokens were sold in Delhi.
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Demand for liquor is inelastic which means that
the sale of alcohol is not much responsive to change in prices.
In general, since alcohol policy is a state subject in India, revenue from Liquor is a cash cow for state governments. In 2018 and 2019, four states collectively collected about 20,000 crores in taxes from the sale of liquor. As much as the state earns from the sale of Liquor it is undoubtedly, a threat to the Economy. Consumption of alcohol has dire health consequences. When a person consumes an alcoholic beverage, there is a rise in BAC because of which there is a gradual and progressive loss of driving ability because of an increase in reaction time, overconfidence, degraded muscle coordination, impaired concentration, and decreased auditory and visual acuity. This is known as drunken driving. (V. M. Anantha Eashwar, 2020) Drunken driving is the third biggest cause of road accidents and over speeding in India. Road accidents are not it; alcoholism causes sleep problems, heart, and liver issues. Also, it is not about an individual’s life, it ruins the lives of all people concerned.
Addiction also causes economic loss. In 2000, Vivek Benegal and his team assessed 113 patients admitted to a special de-addiction service for alcohol dependence. They found that
the average individual earned a mean of ₹1,661 but
spent ₹1,938 per month on alcohol, incurring high debt.
They also found that 95% did not work for about 14 days in a month. They concluded that it led to a loss of ₹13,823 per person per year in terms of foregone productivity. A more recent study, Health Impact and Economic Burden of Alcohol Consumption in India, led by Gaurav Jyani, concluded that alcohol-attributable deaths would lead to a loss of 258 million life-years between 2011 and 2050. The study placed the economic burden on the health system at $48.11 billion, and the societal burden (including health costs, productivity loss, and so on) at $1,867 billion. “This amounts to an average loss of 1.45% of the gross domestic product (GDP) per year to the Indian economy,” the study said. (Mint, 2020)
Setho ka Gaon
With each passing day, the ‘curtain of separation’ weighs down on the women of Afghanistan, paving the way for tyranny to thrive.
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ANTI-ELAB MOVEMENT IN HONG KONG
Harshita Kukreja and Sneha Mathur
A Brief Background
An agreement was reached in 1984 between Britain and China over the question of Hong
Kong, which was a result of deliberations that had begun early in the 1980s - a period
approaching the end of the 99-year-lease over its control. While China was in favour of
bringing the territory under its communist government, Hong Kong was returned to the
nation with the implementation of ‘one country, two systems’ under the Basic Law, providing
the region with great autonomy in multiple spheres barring defence and foreign affairs for
half a century.
This agreement is set to expire in 2047, post which the political and economic position of
Hong Kong is ambiguous.
Although the liberties and freedom exercised by Hong Kong are visible when compared with
the rest of China, allegations were made regarding Chinese interference in its internal
politics, including the election of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, among the most
important issues discussed.
Popular dissatisfaction is also presently reflected in the way people identify themselves;
according to recent statistics, only 11% of the citizens of Hong Kong call themselves
‘Chinese’ - most prefer to identify themselves as ‘Hong Kongers’ despite being of Chinese
ethnicity. Mostly prevalent in the youth, nearly 71% of the population claims to not feel
proud of being Chinese citizens.
Current State of Affairs
In the ongoing pro-democracy protests in the city, people have taken to the streets in large
numbers to express their concerns over the extradition bill, later indefinitely suspended by the
city leader, Carrie Lam. Hong Kong underwent utter chaos and violence in the past few
months due to brutal clashes between the police and the protestors. Globally, numerous
rallies in Canada, Australia, UK, and the US, among others, supporting Hong Kong have also
been held.
A large number of protestors are also against Carrie Lam and demand a complete withdrawal
of the extradition bill. Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping has warned Hong Kong of
taking any action against the nation. The people perceive Chinese interference in Hong
Kong’s legislative and legal system as a major concern, anticipating that China might be
looking forward to having greater control over their territory.
Impact of the Protests
Hong Kong’s economy has seen a sharp fall in growth since the protests began. Tourism is
the major industry of the city, and the political condition has further worsened the financial
situation of Hong Kong. With the airport itself becoming the hub of protests, flights were
cancelled, and thousands of demonstrators along with the airline staff held sit-ins to spread
awareness about their demands among visitors. Significant declines in the number of tourists
and flight bookings to Hong Kong have occurred due to safety concerns. Retail sales and
exports have also decreased this year in Hong Kong.
However, the financial sector of Hong Kong seems to have been less adversely affected when
compared to its economy. Foreign exchange reserves of the city, along with strong fiscal
reserves, can potentially defend the currency-peg system, according to studies by market
analysts, despite the massive outflows pushing up the value of HK $7.85.
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References:
https://www.asiatimes.com/2019/10/article/as-protests-boom-hong-kongs-economy-busts/
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/13/world/asia/hong-kong-protest-economy.html
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/16/hong-kong-carrie-lam-address-video-
democracy-
protest
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Image Courtesy : Bloomberg
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