पहले शराब ज़ीस्त थी अब ज़ीस्त है शराब
कोई पिला रहा है पिए जा रहा हूँ मैं
The all wise Administrative Council comprising LG, Advisor and CS have taken a bold decision by authorizing the departmental stores to sell the Beer as also ready to drink beverages in urban areas. The details are not available on the official website as we in our UT are digitally smart. In a smart city people should be smart and a dose of a drink like beer will make people all the more smartest in Jammu- the city of temples.
The departmental store should be selling grocery items, confectionery, bakery items, toiletries, apparels and stationary. Perhaps this model has been hand picked from an area which is alien to us. Salute to the people of Srinagar for having exerted @ closure of a wine shop nearby a school a few days back. In my own Rehari area in between 02 temples there is a wine shop doing roaring business. Nearby is a Govt Middle School as also Sarwal Police Post.Similarly, wine shops operating near Govt Women College, Parade and Kacchi Chawni- prominently referred to as Educational Hub of Jammu city.
Pankaj Sharma, JKAS, Excise Commissioner hailing from Rajouri town should visit this area today not in his official vehicle but in his private car to confirm the facts so that Govt’s POL is not wasted. I am fully confident that he will never do the needful as he has so many irons in fire. An outfit of a majority community in a vernacular daily is planning to oppose this move tooth and nail. Even the statement of one Ravinder Raina has been read that he will also oppose the move but it is a befooling tactics. Mr Raina cannot afford to go against the decision of UT’s Administrative Council as he is remote controlled from New Delhi.
Complete mess prevails and furthermore JKTDC has also been given the permission for sale of beer in unserved/under-served areas in consultation with the concerned DC. Already JKTDC is in the red and perhaps to bolster its financial health this decision has been taken. Now the mantra is Eat, Drink and be merry. It is also the philosophy of Epicure – a Greek philosopher, author of an ethical philosophy of simple pleasure, friendship, and retirement.
The defunct Civil Society of Jammu shall never raise any voice on this important development affecting the health of the society as they are lost in fun and frolic on account of the festival season. Even the student bodies shall never raise any hue and cry as they have more important issues in hand viz employment and their general well being which has taken a beating owing to the faulty employment generation policies of the govt.
Our university and college teachers shall also observe pin drop silence as who does not want a drink or two at the door step. Chronic hypocrisy prevails and here is none to lead and be a role model for the society. In J&K we don’t have the culture of metropolitan cities, like Pune, Bangaluru, Delhi etc where open boozing, live-in relationships, night outs etc. are a fashion. Hence, roll back this decision.
Satayameva Jayate !
(The author of the article Prof. SK.Bhalla, is a retired Principal of HED, J&K UT and is an acclaimed anti corruption crusader, critics and social activist)