Bihar Hooch Tragedy: Ruling Allies Left Parties Demand Govt Compensation for kin of Saran Victims

Patna: The Communist Party of India (Marxist-Lenninist Liberation) [CPI(ML)], a key ally of the ruling Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, on Monday staged a state-wide protest demanding compensation to the families of the victims of the latest hooch tragedy in the Saran district.

Amid reports of the death toll rising to more than 80 till Monday, Saran Civil Surgeon Dr Sagar Dulal Sinha told NewsClick on Monday that the total death toll as per official data is 38. "We have no records to confirm the toll reported by media," he said.

Hundreds of CPI(ML) leaders and workers took to the streets and staged a protest at all the district headquarters, including in Patna.

“The CPI(ML) leaders, workers and supporters staged a protest across the state for compensation to the families of the victims of the hooch tragedy. We will put pressure on the government to provide it. The CPI(ML) has been demanding compensation as most of the victims were poor and from the working class; their families have lost their livelihood earner. The party is a strong supporter of a total liquor prohibition, but it wants the government to be sensitive toward the dependents of those who died after drinking spurious liquor,” CPI(ML) state secretary Kunal said in a press release.

The CPI(ML), which has 12 MLAs, raised the issue of compensation last week in the ongoing winter session of the Bihar Assembly and staged a protest outside the assembly. A party delegation also met with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar three days ago, seeking compensation.

Kunal said the party demanded the state government to order a high-level probe into the politician-administration-liquor mafia nexus. This nexus, they claim, is behind the production and sale of illicit and spurious liquor. "The government should initiate action against the liquor mafia,” Kunal said.

CPI(ML) legislative party leader Mehboob Alam said that the party handed over a letter demanding compensation to CM Kumar on Monday.

The statement of the party further said that a flourishing illicit and spurious liquor trade is not possible without the patronage and support of a powerful liquor nexus. As a result, illegal liquor has become a synonym for the death of the poor in Bihar. Instead of curbing the liquor mafia, the poor are punished through the draconian Prohibition Act.

Two MLAs from another Left party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], staged a protest outside the state Assembly on Monday, demanding compensation for the families of the victims. Last week, the Communist Party of India (CPI) made a similar demand.

CPI(M) MLAs Satyender Yadav and Ajay Kumar staged a protest with handwritten placards outside the state Assembly on Monday. 

"The hooch tragedy in Saran is the result of total failure of the local administration. The local police are responsible for the sale of spurious liquor that killed so many people, mostly the poor from the marginalised section of society. The government should compensate the victims' families in view of their socio-economic condition and take stern action against liquor mafia," Yadav, MLA from Manjhi Assembly seat in Saran, told NewsClick.

Earlier, former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi’s party HAM too demanded compensation for the families of the dead on Friday. Opposition leader Vijay Kumar Sinha demanded compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families. Opposition BJP MLAs on Monday again raised the issue in the Assembly on the last day of the session.

Ironically, CM Kumar had repeatedly ruled out any compensation for families of the victims in Saran in the last five days. Kumar on Monday reportedly said that there is no provision for compensation for those who died after consuming liquor.

In more than seven years, one hooch tragedy after another has been reported in the state despite the ban on manufacturing, storage, transportation, sale and consumption of alcohol since April 2016. Despite the much-hyped use of drones, copters and motorboats by the Kumar-led government to curb the illegal manufacturing and smuggling of liquor, hundreds of deaths have been reported in the last three years.