COUNTRY LIQUOR V/S INDIAN MADE FOREIGN LIQUOR

If a man who had one glass too many of Indian Made Foreign Liquor collides with a spirited soul high on country liquor, who amongst the two is “legally” wrong? Needless to say that if the heady question is put to the two intoxicated subjects we are in for a long night, but, legally the man who sipped even an ounce of country liquor would cool off the night in the local cell. Country liquor brewed from Rice is banned in India. The reason being Rice is an “essential commodity” and is a protected and regulated under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. “Generally country liquor is brewed by fermentation of Rice, so it is illegal. Rice cannot be misused to make intoxicants when thousands in India still go hungry to bed,” Meghalaya Home Minister, HDR Lyngdoh representing Sohiong constituency in Meghalaya, known for its country liquor, said. Incidentally, IMFL is made from neutral spirit distilled from sugarcane molasses. Sugarcane is also listed as an essential food crop, but neutral spirit is manufactured from molasses which is a by product of the sugar industry and therefore its distillation is permitted to manufacture alcohol. Here in Meghalaya, Lyngdoh has been vocally trying to legalise country liquor manufactured in Sohiong under pressure from the people in his constituency. Manufacturing country liquor illegally is a thriving vocation in Sohiong and the liquor from there is distributed to many parts of the state. “Legalising such country liquor would help make the whole manufacturing process more hygienic, which in many case is not, and also free from dangerous adulteration,” the Home Minister said. He said there needs to be a way out to manufacture such brew from “items not listed under the Essential Commodities Act.” “Availability of legalised local brew also gives a fillip to the tourism industry as most tourists do want to try out such brews, like Fenny in Goa,” he pointed out. Sohiong which gets its name from an indigenous fruit of the state is also successfully manufacturing the Sohiong wine. The wine has gained popularity in annual wine festivals, but poor bottling of the product has been a big drawback. Meanwhile, Lyngdoh said that not just country liquor, but, people’s expertise in wine-making needs government patronage and he would once again draw the attention of concerned departments in this regard.