No ban, no vote: Musahars stand against alcohol sales

By Sudha Deo,Saptari, Feb. 18:  Members of the Musahar community of Bishnupur Rural Municipality-6 in Saptari district have announced that they will vote only for the candidate who commits to imposing a ban on the sale and distribution of alcohol in the area.

Locals of Gorgama, a settlement predominantly inhabited by the Musahar community, say excessive alcohol consumption has become the biggest obstacle to their social and economic progress.

Fifty-year-old Kumi Devi Sada said that alcohol abuse has severely affected families in the community, and therefore, they plan to support the candidate who pledges to impose a ban on liquor.

“Alcohol is the main barrier to the progress of the Musahar community,” she said. “Men spend the money they earn through daily wage labour at liquor shops every evening. As a result, our living standards have not improved.”

According to locals, more than a dozen liquor shops are operating in and near their settlement. Aasha Devi Sada, 64, said that even when families try to discourage drinking, male family members find ways to access alcohol.

“Unless these shops are shut down, the problem will not be solved,” she said. “Over the past five decades, we have seen many elections and many leaders. Leaders’ lifestyles have changed, but our condition remained the same. We have received many assurances and commitments during every election, but none of them fulfils their commitments.”

She added that daily wage earners often spend their entire earnings on alcohol, leaving families struggling for food if they fail to work. The lack of financial stability has also prevented parents from affording education for their children, while the habit of alcohol consumption has passed down to the younger generation.

Former ward chair Bahadur Sada reported that the settlement comprises around 200 households, and alcohol-related issues contribute to two to four deaths each year.

He emphasised that unless the government enforces a ban on alcohol sales and distribution, the problems facing the Musahar community will persist.

The women of the Musahar community in Bishnupur Rural Municipality–6 have publicly voiced their concerns, urging political candidates to take concrete action against alcohol sales in their area.