Gujarat : Women Protest Over GIFT City Liquor Policy

Ahmedabad : A storm of dissent brews among women as the Gujarat government moves forward with relaxing prohibition regulations within the GIFT City. While the government clarifies its stance on the policy change, the All India Mahila Sanskritik Sangathan (AIMSS) vehemently opposes this move, calling for an immediate revocation.

AIMSS took to the streets in protest against the relaxation of liquor prohibition, organizing a fervent demonstration at Sardarbaug in Ahmedabad on December 27, drawing support from passionate students. Their dissent echoed in Vadodara with a similar program slated for December 28.

Meenakshi Joshi, the Convener of AIMSS’ Gujarat chapter, expressed staunch opposition to the state government’s decision, emphasizing the organization’s unwavering advocacy for stringent liquor prohibition, not just in Gujarat but across the nation.

“The move to ease liquor regulations in GIFT City threatens to dismantle the fabric of safety and well-being we’ve fought hard to establish. We stand firm against this regressive step.”

The group raised concerns that this recent relaxation might pave the way for a broader revocation of liquor prohibition. Joshi accused the government of turning a blind eye to the unchecked flow of liquor and drugs, resulting in the ruin of numerous families, orphaned children, and the proliferation of child labor, alongside escalating cruelty and atrocities against women.

AIMSS’s demand extends beyond GIFT City; they adamantly assert that liquor should be inaccessible throughout the state.

Joshi affirmed that if the government remains unyielding, the protests will persist. Plans for a signature campaign from January 1 to 5 and a Citizens’ Convention scheduled in Ahmedabad on January 6 underscore their determination.

Highlighting the fallacy that lifting prohibition alone attracts investment, Joshi challenged the notion by citing historical instances. “Was prohibition lifted during Gujarat’s ‘Manchester of India’ era? Did mill owners bemoan prohibition when Ahmedabad’s mills shut down?” she questioned.

Contrary to the Gujarat Model lauded by the state government, Joshi credited the safer environment for women in the state to the enforcement of prohibition.

Expressing grave concerns, Joshi warned that the relaxation within GIFT City could be a precedent, eventually affecting other regions within the state.