Repeal or amend the prohibition law – ACAUT

DIMAPUR — The Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) Nagaland organisation has maintained that the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition (NLTP) Act should either be repealed in its current form “as it is a complete farce” or be amended again for thorough implementation.

In a press release issued on Saturday, the group said it was entirely up to the current elected government to make a decision as the Prohibition file is now with the cabinet.

“It is the prerogative of pressure groups to express their opinions and disagreements. However, the government must act on the basis of what it considers best for the state. If the government decides to go ahead with the Prohibition Act, it must clearly state the reason and rationale for taking such a decision.

“The NLTP Act in its current form is simply unenforceable and is the root cause of its total failure,” the statement said.

According to ACAUT, the NLTP Act In its 35 years of existence, it has encouraged illegal liquor smuggling and corruption from top to bottom, including law enforcement agencies.

“These criminals have liquor licenses and are supported by multiple parallel governments and are thus creating a mafia culture in our society which is having far reaching consequences in the degradation of the moral fabric of our society. A small citizen survey in Dimapur will find unregulated liquor shops in the form of bottled water shops in every nook and corner of almost every colony and villages run by miscreants and mafias.

“For the implementation of NLTP in the entire Nagaland, there are hardly 336 posts with 40 vacancies and there is no way that the Act can be successful. The divergent views of different denominations on the issue of prohibition in the state need to be addressed by the church leaders. The church needs to introspect on the proactive role it has played over the years with their respective congregation, who are also citizens during the rest of the weekdays,” the statement said.

It called for more “healthy public dialogues” and for the development of a “converging path of action” on the Nagaland denudation.

“Our younger generation should no longer grow up in an environment of moral dilemma, where hypocrisy is promoted as a virtue by looking the other way, which NLTP has normalized in our Christian-majority society,” the report said.