Liquor Policy in Kerala
"Midway this way of life, I woke up to find myself in a dark wood, Where the right road was wholly lost and gone." Dante "The Divine Comedy" The liquor policy of the state of Kerala is ambiguous. We have access to information in the public domain that our exchequer is benefitting much from the sale of liquor. But the brands which sell more are also those that does not make sense drinking in tropical climates like ours. But of course one need not make sense of everything he/she sees. However, it is important to raise the question of transparency. Firstly, the logic of higher taxes on liquor has not reduced its consumption as is obvious from the data. If we are bound by the spirits of Article 47 in our constitutions why not ban the sale completely. It seems that the state is bound between two extremes: the need to support a revenue base and promote a jittery consumer sovereignty by providing a difficult access to a product. Lets just get back to the question...