Guwahati: Assam's biggest hooch tragedy, in which at least 159 people have died so far in Golaghat and Jorhat districts, has exposed the alleged nexus between state's enforcement agencies and the illegal spirituous liquor sellers in the tea garden areas.
More shockingly, clandestine liquor dens in the garden areas were continuously selling alcohol even as the death toll shot up with every passing minute. Hospitals in the two districts are also struggling to accommodate over 200 patients, who were taken ill and are struggling with their lives.
Balindra Ojha, a worker from the Halmira tea estate in Golaghat district where some 99 people lost their lives, described how amidst ongoing police crackdown on illicit liquor across the state, workers in the tea garden have been "sipping death".
Citing his neighbour Mahindra Telenga's case, Ojha said, "Mahindra died on Sunday, a day after his younger brother Anupam Telenga passed away following consumption of the 'poisonous' drink. Upset with the loss, Mahindra too drank a few glasses of liquor after the last rites of his brother. A couple of hours later Mahindra died.”
Angry with the inaction of the authorities, Ojha and his friends decided to raid some of the illegal country liquor selling points in the garden surroundings on Monday.
The group of villagers succeeded to destroy almost 100 litres of suspected toxic country liquors and handed over some five villagers to the police. The liquor was stored under the ground. “These are only a few selling points. There are over 30 selling and several producing points in the area. The excise department, police and everyone knows about it but do nothing. A lot of money is involved in the racket,” said Nipun, a local.
Villagers claimed that enforcement agencies collect 'hafta or protection money from the illegal liquor sellers in return of no action.
Dhiraj Goala, assistant general secretary of All Tea Tribe Students Association (ATTSA), said, “It’s surprising that even after so many deaths, sale of spurious liquor is on. One person from Borhloa tea estate of Jorhat was admitted on Monday after he consumed liquor this morning.”
In Borhola area, under Titabor subdivision of Jorhat district, some 78 people have died so far after consuming the alleged toxic country-made liquor.
The opposition parties of Congress and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) too came down heavily on government during the state assembly session on Monday. While former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and other Congress leaders staged a protest inside the assembly holding placards describing the failure of the BJP rules state government, AGP president Atul Bora said, “If the government doesn’t take necessary steps to stop the sale of illegal hooch in the gardens and punish those who are accountable for the tragedy, temporary clampdown on these liquor sellers will not give desired results.”
Assam Congress demanded the resignation of state’s Excise Minister Parimal Suklabaidya and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal as well as a magisterial inquiry into the matter.
Earlier on Sunday, Suklabaidya faced the wrath of the local residents while he was visiting the Golaghat Civil Hospital to take stock of the patients admitted in the hospital. The Adivasi student groups and locals gheraoed the minister and shouted slogans against him.