Madhya Pradesh: Six villages in Niwadi district declare sharab-bandi

BHOPAL: Yet another village of Niwari district declared sharabbandi (prohibition) after holding a mahapanchayat of the village with a population of over 2,000. The congregation held on Monday also threatened to ostracise those who are found drunk. This is the sixth village in the district where such a decision has been taken in the past one month.
In the dusty village of Dumduma, about 25 kms away from the district headquarters of Niwadi in Bundelkhand, a large number of people from all the caste assembled at a temple of the village deity on Monday.They decided to slap a fine of Rs 11,000 on those brewing country- made liquor and Rs 5,000 on people found drunk. The villagers said that after drinking, people would indulge in gambling also leading to more trouble.
"Despite all this, if someone violates the mahapanchayat diktat, we will ostracise them from the community. We boycott him and the water supply is disconnected”, said Kanhaiyalal, a village elder.
Villagers said that for the past few years’ illicit liquor and its influence on the village youth have become a menace in the region. “Women and children are the worst sufferers of liquor and gambling”, they said.
Superintendent of police Vahini Singh said that it is a community initiative supported by the police. She said that, "our beat constables have done excellent work".
"The women were suffering a lot because of the drinking and gambling. They would come and lodge complaints and we would take action but the evil was deep rooted”, she said. “Then the villagers decided to bring about a change and we backed them”, she said.
Five villages of Dumduma panchayat have already taken similar decisions.