Meaning of Dry States in India
I SEARCHED ON the Internet and found out the meaning of the word dry state. A dry state means a state where boozing is prohibited. But, the most interesting fact is that Gujarat, in spite of being a dry state, in terms of consumption of alcohol, ranks amongst the top five states in alcohol consumption. Gujarat is known as the ‘Jewel of the west’ and shares its borders with Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Truckloads of liquor are smuggled into Gujarat from these states. You get everything here whether it is whisky, wine, gin, rum, vodka or beer. Earlier people in this state used to drink on a birthday party, marriage or during a festival. But recently, it has been observed that people here just need a mere excuse to drink. They drink even when they are happy or sad. Whether it is a heartbreak, any kind of achievement, or a cloudy weather, people just find a reason to drink. ‘It is so hot here, let us have a beer, dude’ or ‘It is freezing this month, let us have a peg or two of whisky’ – these are the much spoken liners that you would come across in a group. According to them, anywhere, anytime, is the right time for drinking. What is the fun in going for a movie without doing cheers? There are no bars or pubs in Gujarat. However, people can have their daily dosage of Vitamin A (alcohol) from some famous bootleggers. You find a bootlegger easily in Gujarat, who would deliver you any brand of whisky, gin or rum at your convenient time and place, whether it is at your doorstep or at your farmhouse. These bootleggers make loads of money and are never short of cash. People pay them whatever they ask for. Interestingly, even they have peak and off seasons. During the marriage season, elections, Dipawali they almost charge you double the rate. Otherwise, they charge you the normal printed rates. The biggies of this whole affair have their own personal cars. I wonder what is mixed inside the bottles as it is not possible to make such chunks of money in