Women in Kalikot launch campaign to control alcoholism

The women of Gelagaun, Mahabai Rural Municipality-6 of Kalikot district have run a campaign to control the illegal production and sale of alcohol.

The women of the village started this campaign realizing that irresponsible consumption of alcohol by the male members of the family increased domestic violence and social aberrations.

According to the women, irresponsible alcohol drinking not only resulted in the draining of the family's income, but it also dented the social prestige, increased domestic violence, and disturbed the social peace.

"Excessive and irresponsible alcohol consumption has resulted in waste of money and also in widespread social aberrations. We have started the campaign to stop this," said Jalasa Pariyar of Mahabai Rural Municipality-6.

The women of Naraharinath Rural Municipality-8 have formed the Mothers Group and spearheaded a campaign against alcoholism. "We have been raising public awareness on the harmful effects of alcohol and to stop the production and sale of alcohol," narrated Manakala Bista who is the secretary of the local mothers' group.

She said that the mothers' group imposes fine on persons drinking irresponsibly, creating a scene and disturbing social peace in the village, adding that those producing home-brewed alcohol are reprimanded.

Rampura Bhandari, a local homemaker, said that the local government, political parties, and other social activists have supported the mothers' group in their campaign of controlling alcoholism.

"Our campaign has given a message of unity and reconciliation to the community and this has also helped reduce unnecessary expenses in the family. There is peace in our village, thanks to this campaign of alcohol control started by the mothers' group," she elaborated.

Under the campaign, the people producing home-brewed liquor in the settlement are identified first and they are requested to stop producing alcohol. Anyone disturbing the social peace by excessive drinking will face action, said local Kamala Shahi, also a member of the local mothers' group.

According to her, it was found that 100 households in the rural municipality produced such crude alcohol. The women reported it to the police station at Padmagad and urged them to take steps to control the production and sale of alcohol, but their request went unheeded and they had to launch the campaign.

Women have been vigorously undertaking campaigns to ban alcohol in the villages and the police are supporting them in this.