comes, ironically, from Gandhi's Dandi March (also called Salt March) 75 years ago, which protested the salt laws of the British rule in India. Gandhi, who also said that you have the duty to disobey unjust laws, was the chief proponent of an alcohol-free India. One of our objectives is to make a case that the context under which Gandhi instituted prohibition is not valid today. Today, alcohol prohibition in Gujarat is an outdated, corruption and crime breeding, short sighted law which must be systematically removed. Keeping up with Bapu's spirit, the Maltmarch community plans to march to the Sachivalay and have a drink in defiance of the prohibition law (date undecided). 
Donors will get a summary of where & how their funds were used. Don't worry, we don't use donation money to buy booze.Let's Stop Cheating the Mahatma.
Gujarat is the land of Gandhiji. We are proud he was born here and lived here to become the Father of the Nation.
Gujarat is also the land of prohibition. A concept preached by the Mahatma.
But, how does Prohibition perform today?
Gujarat consumes one of the highest quantities of liquors, alcohols and spirits in India. Everyone in the state, from the highest to lowest in hierarchy of a politician, beaurocrat, police officer, NGO, freedom fighter, industrialist, businessman, doctor, lawyer, slum dweller or a farmer are aware of this fact since many years now. Most of them are drinkers themselves.
When someone talks of banishing Prohibition, the most easily asked question is "had the Mahatma been alive today, would we talk of banishing prohibition" ?
Have we ever asked this question "had the Mahatma been alive today, would we allow this discreet and large scale flow and consumption of liquor in spite of his prohibition"?
No, never have we asked this or taken this thought seriously.
So, it is evident that the 5 crore gujaratis are on a mission to cheat the Mahatma, and hide to the world by proclaiming "we are the land of prohibition".
I challenge every supporter of prohibition, respected freedom fighters, conservatives or Gandhians to prove that we are NOT cheating the Mahatma.
Let us all in the name of Mahatma Gandhi stop cheating him. For heaven's sake. And let the government and all of us stop completely the illegal and discreet flow of liquor from every city, town and village of our state.
I know you know it is impossible to implement!!
There we come crashing down! "On the rocks so to speak"!!
Tourism, revenue loss to government exchequer, modern age, democracy, right to freedom, business and commercial growth are the core reasons we hear since years in favor of banishing prohibition.
For me the one single solid reason to banish prohibition is that we should immediately stop cheating the Mahatma. We should stop cheating our conscience. We should stop cheating the world.
How to do it? Well, Gujarat is full of intelligent, dynamic, progressive and entrepreneurial people. There shall be no dearth of good implementable ideas, for sure. Our bar tender might also have the entire game plan ready, if the government wishes to take some tips for the cocktail.
Salute !
I agree that Gandhi championed prohibition, he would not prevent anyone from drinking alcohol, but futhermore he condemned altogether the principle of drinking on the sly. Infact he once told Jehangir Patel, an associate of his, "I would much rather you were a drinker, even a heavy drinker, than that there should be any deceit in the matter."
So why cheat him at all.Let us be open about it. I'm sure he would understand and respect our decisions as matured grown up individuals.
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Always remember that I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me. - Winston Churchill
I shifted to Ahmedabad from Mumbai last year after much reluctance. The company I
Maybe Gandhi, even as an idealist, would have been "soft" on responsible alcohol drinking rather than turn someone in for breaking the law. How would you explain that he never once told Sardar Patel (as admitted by SP) and Jinnah, both avid drinkers (although Patel quit drinking and became Gandhi's chief proponent for prohibition), anything against their drinking even though both of them knew MG's pro-prohibitionist views. So, lets demand our constitutional right - what all Indians have in this country except the residents of Gujarat - the right to drink alcohol, which we do now clandestinely.
Abhishek J. Shah Ahmedabad
Yes, no matter what, drinkers in dry Gujarat shall keep on drinking. No one has the capacity to stop that.
I'm not sure if someone has the data, but we shall love to know the addition of new drinkers year wise for the last 10 years in Gujarat. I'm sure the growth rate might overtake the GDP growth of the state.
Cheating the Mahatma at its best. Quite disgusting. Lets legalise it.
Dear Abhishek'
The data released by Prohibition Department last month is self explanatory to your views. The number of health permits issued by the dept is increasing year by year and out of which permit issued to Gentlemen is much lesser compared to Ladies. This is quiet encouraging and we need to rope-in females in to this compagin as their strength is more.
aaryesdee
yes Aaryesdee
i agree women should be a part of malt march. they already are an integral part. it is only upto them to come forward and pledge their support.
In the 1930's our country definitely lived as a conservative society. women were only to cook food and take care of the children. they were supossed to sit on the floor with their heads covered in "ghunghaat" and listen to what the males preached.
this being one of the reasons, prohibition was conveived as a tool to check atrocities by drunken husbands on their uneducated, sorrowful wives.
it is high time veterans understand the meaning of "women's liberalisation". women have a equal role to play in shaping the society of today and the future.
This is a quote from Gandhi:
I can claim to be a staunch prohibitionist as I am a staunch khaddarite...
This clearly shows the "opportune" time for prohibition, which has passed. Gandhi wanted all Indians to wear Khadi and leave drinking, because the British imposed "Akbari Tax" on alcohol and imported cloth and Gandhi wanted Indians to avoid both by shunning tax paid to the Colonial powers.
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