NEW DELHI, Dec 16: The death toll in Bihar’s hooch tragedy in Chhapra in Saran district has gone up to 65, official sources confirmed on Friday. The tragedy, the biggest since Bihar went dry more than six years ago, is the latest in a long list of such deaths in Bihar ever since Chief Minister Nitish Kumar imposed prohibition in 2016.
The JDU-RJD government is facing loud protests by the opposition BJP in the Assembly and outside over alleged laxity in implementing prohibition. Nitish Kumar had yesterday refused to give compensation to the families of those killed, and said people should be “more vigilant” when the state anyway has prohibition.
“Jo sharaab peeyega, wo toh marega hi na… Udaharan saamne hai – peeyoge toh maroge. (Those who drink liquor will obviously die. We have an example in this case),” Mr Kumar said in Hindi in response to a question in Patna, referring to demands of compensation in earlier cases. He had even furiously screamed “sharabi ho tum (you are a drunk)” at the opposition BJP on December 14 as he faced protests in the Assembly.
He argued that even when there was no prohibition, people died of toxic liquor. “People have died in huge numbers in other states as well where there is no prohibition,” he added. Observing that “implementation of prohibition had been very patchy” in Bihar, the National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Bihar government and the state’s police chief.
The sale and consumption of alcohol was completely banned in Bihar in April 2016. The police are reportedly looking for more who have been taken sick; they may have gone into hiding to avoid interrogation as liquor is banned in Bihar.
(Manas Dasgupta)