Home brew hot-seller in Koraput tribal haat

Koraput: Here's a rustic recipe for unwinding. Fruits, rice, ragi, cashew, mohua and sugarcane. The concoction is heady. And a great relaxant after a hard day's labour. What's more, a weekly haat here is dedicated to the sale of liquor! Hundreds of tribals flock to this "haat" to enjoy a sip of the home-made brew.
Every Tuesday, one can witness this haat buzzing with visitors in a thickly forested area near Kuru Padar village, at a distance of about 55 km from here, under Ramgiri panchayat of Boipariguda block.Both tribal men and women from nearby areas like Dandabadi, Haldikunda, Baligaon and Doraguda panchayats throng the liquor market.
"For the past several years, I have been coming to the haat to sell liquor and I earn handsomely. People from far-flung areas come to the haat to enjoy a drink," said Damburu Jani, a liquor seller.
The haat starts around 2 pm and continues till evening. Liquor prepared from fruits, rice, ragi, cashew fruit, mohua and sugarcane is sold. But the brew made from rice and molasses is the most in demand among tribals. A glass full of liquor costs Rs 5 only.
"We don't know if liquor is harmful for health, but it's a part of our social custom," said Madan Kuspuria, a villager. And age is no bar when it comes to guzzling a glass of the home-made brew. From children to the elderly, everyone is ready to raise a toast.
The significance of liquor in a tribal's life can be gauged from the fact that they offer it to deities as a token of their reverence. And during marriages, containers filled with liquor are given in dowry.
"Liquor has also been the cause of many a tragic incident. With the passing of time, the process of making the liquor has become dubious. Various spurious ingredients like ammonia and urea are added to the liquor to accelerate fermentation, which traditionally takes four days. But this is dangerous," said tribal researcher Paresh Rath.
According to Rath, it is difficult to ban the consumption because of socio-cultural significance. But people should be told about safety measures while preparing the liquor, he felt.