Consumption of liquor is considered bad in all religions and J&K is a land of faith for all Communities”.
Senior National Conference Leader and former MLA from Ganderbal Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar on Sunday warned of protests by people over the new proposal to open liquor stores across Jammu and Kashmir.
In a statement issued here, the former MLA has demanded immediate withdrawal of the notice in which the Jammu and Kashmir administration is planning to open about 200 liquor shops in Jammu and Kashmir, 67 of which will be in the Valley.
According to statement Sheikh Ishfaq said it is a known fact that majority of the population in J&K is very much keen to see a total ban on liquor products in the valley, but allowing to open more liquor shops is unacceptable.
Ishfaq said that any decision regarding openning of new liquor shops should be taken while keeping Jammu and Kashmir’s multiculturalism and multi-religious landscape in mind.
He refused to accept the argument that ban on liquor would result in loss of revenue and cited the case of many states where it is banned. “The revenue loss can be compensated by other means, but loss of religion cannot be compensated. For example, liquor is banned in Bihar, but there is no impact on revenue,” he said, adding “When there is a ban on liquor in birth place of Mahatma Gandhi, then why is it allowed in the land of Sufi’s & Awliyas?”
The NC leader recalled that during 2015-16, when he was a legislator in the last legislative assembly in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, he had moved a bill to seek prohibition on advertisement, sale, purchase, consumption and manufacture of alcoholic drinks in the state.
He said that while states like Bihar have imposed a total ban on sale and purchase of liquor, there is no justification in promoting the liquor culture in J&K.
Jabbar said that promoting tourism at the cost of moral values is disgracing and matter of great concern.
The PM slogan “Beti Bachao Beti Padao” can only be fulfilled when their is complete ban on sale of liquor, he observed.
He said “liquor is mother of all evils and does not only cause cancer like diseases but also disturbs the social fabric by giving birth to many social evils”.
“Consumption of alcohol destroys the sacred and holy relations of the society and it has become a major cause of domestic violence,” he claimed.
Ishfaq said that Gandhi Ji regarded the consumption of liquor as a major social evil and favoured complete prohibition in India.
People, irrespective of their religious identity, have resentment against the letter suggesting the opening of 183 liquor vends in the J&K, 116 in Jammu and 67 in the Valley. If the liquor shops are allowed to open, people will come on the roads in protest,” Jabbar, the former legislator, said in the statement.
He said that all the stakeholders should come forward against this Decision, so that they can save Kashmir from social evils.
He has urged the responsible members of the civil society to rise to the occasion and to start counseling the youth in their respective localities to ensure Kashmir’s young generation is saved from growing drug and liquor abuse.He also urged the ulema and clerics to play their role in stopping the use of drugs and liquor among the youth in Kashmir. Jabbar said that Kashmir’s civil society and intellectuals should work hard to ensure complete ban on the sale of liquor and drugs given the fact that open sale of these items cannot be tolerated in Kashmir.
He had appealed for personal intervention of LG G C Murmu so that the no fresh liquor shop is opened,” Jabbar said, adding “We must work for the welfare of the society. Opening more liquor shops will add to the worries of the people.