‘Hooch’ – a word doing rounds for its notoriety implies spurious or illicit alcohol, fatal enough to cause poisoning. Off late, hooch has been associated with a series of deaths occurring across the country, ‘tragic’ enough to claim lives of over hundreds of individuals belonging to the marginalized strata of the society.
More than 150 tea-garden workers in the Golaghat district of Assam died in a span of four days in a shocking event last weekend after consuming ‘sulaai’, a cheap hooch contaminated with ‘laligur(rhododendron)’. Striking and unfortunate enough, the magnitude of this tragic incident has made it one of the worst liquor tragedies that the country has seen so far. Over 300 other casualties are still hospitalised with severe withdrawal symptoms that have brought the state on a high alarm.
Hooch tragedies in India are not a new phenomenon. A few weeks ago in early February, 99 deaths were reported in a similar tragedy in which men and women had succumbed to poisoning mixed in country liquor. Similar massive liquor deaths had occurred earlier in West Bengal (2011), Mumbai(2015), Bihar (2016) and in Gujarat (2009) affecting the rural, low-income families among which the death toll in Assam’s tragedy stands the highest. Across all such incidents, actions such as penalties, shut down of liquor shops, raids and arrests followed the aftermath. Despite the reactive actions, major preventive steps and strong vigilance have been prioritized by Governments. Assam Government has launched a crackdown on sale and production of ‘laligur’(the nefarious red molasses behind the poisoning). However, a death toll of this scale, makes one wonder if reactive, one-time actions can be the ‘end all and be all’ to resolve the larger implications of the incident.
Who pays the price?
‘Sulaai’ available at the rate of Rs 60 per liter is one of the cheapest and affordable liquors sold and consumed in the tea workers community. About 10 lakh workers are part of the tea labour industry in Assam working in 850 tea-estates. This community that comprises of 17% of the workforce, has been historically exploited and marginalized in Assam. Thriving on a bare minimum wage of INR 137 per day, the amount does not fall anywhere close to the mandated minimum wage rate, or to the demand of the workers raised in 2018 to increase the wage to Rs 350.
Deaths and casualties of this large scale (158 deaths and about 340 casualties) is an appalling reality that is barely seeing attention in the national media or the Center. Given the deplorable condition, and with an average Household size of four to five members, the loss of family members to this tragic event has grievous implications on the ones left behind. According to a news report released three days ago, an almost equal number of men and women have died and many children have been orphaned. The incident has pushed these families (who have lost their prime earning member/s) to ultra-vulnerability and mere one-time compensation of Rs two lakh does not even befit as a ‘response’ to the emotional, financial catastrophe that lies ahead. The absence of worker’s rights, flouting of labour laws that exist in their labour market only add to the current woes. Worst, however in this case, were the expectations of the Tea estates for these families to resume work three days after the incident with no scope of supporting the ailing members or mourning the loss.
Responding: the reactive way or proactive way?
While the apathy of the state government at the turn of events and the sheer shallowness in governance are being questioned, no stringent actions against the Excise department are being undertaken. Within an entire political hullabaloo of blame-game between the Unions, Opposition, State Government, Excise Department, Food and Civil Supplies, one cannot cover up the fact that corruption rules at its roost and a nexus between the Excise and liquor suppliers have flourished over time. Clamping down liquor shops, the illicit sale cannot be a one-time exercise but must be inculcated as a mandated Excise Audit of the department.
The need of the hour also is to focus on rehabilitative actions to put a halt to the deaths and managing the casualties. The Civil Hospitals of Jorhat and Golaghat equipped to barely manage emergencies are seeing an overload of patients (to the point that they are being treated in the hospital corridors). The inaction in terms of spontaneous higher referrals and inefficient management of casualties of a huge proportion as this, raises alarm on the state’s healthcare.
It is time for the state now to decide when to wake up- in the aftermath of a fatal tragedy or staying awake enough to not let a mishap as this, which also is an outcome of corruption to happen ever again? It is also the need of the hour for a nationwide stir and to take note of this unfortunate event and pressurize the authorities for a tangible and a long-term response.