Bihar liquor ban: How will it help, ask humans in the chain

New Delhi: On the eve of the much-vaunted human chain event, Akshita Kumari, a Class IX student of Bankipore Girls High School in Patna, said liquor was easily available in her area. Akshita will be taking part in the human chain at Gandhi Maidan where chief Nitish Kumar and other senior officials will be present. "I stay in the Mandiri area where my landlord provides liquor to his tenant. They sit and drink together every day. Though we have been asked to take part in the human chain to support prohibition, I fail to understand if there is prohibition, how come liquor is available?" Akshita said. The school administration has engaged over 2,000 students and they have been rehearsing for it for the past three weeks. On Thursday, district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Agarwal called the students at Gandhi Maidan for the rehearsal. Bankipore Girls High School is located near the Maidan. When The Telegraph asked another student of the school, Ragini Kumari of Class IX, what she will achieve by taking part in the event, she laughed first and then said: "What will I achieve? Nothing. Do you think that a human chain will bring any change in our state. We are participating because our principal asked us to do so." The state government has claimed that more than 2 crore people will take part in the event and the human chain will be longest in the world with a length of over 11,000km. At most of the government schools which The Telegraph visited on Friday, the students appeared to have been just made aware of the event without being explained its purpose. Most of the students failed to describe the literal meaning of madya nished (prohibition) - the theme of the human chain. The students just uttered slogans to any question asked. Karan Kumar, a Class VIII student of Rajkiye Adarsh Madhya Vidyalaya at Yarpur in Gardanibagh, started reciting a poem when this correspondent asked him about Saturday's event. The poem started with mananiya mukhamantri Nitish Kumar (honourable chief minister Nitish Kumar). Asked about madya nished (prohibition), Karan was unable to answer and started looking up. Principal Shalini Sinha sitting next to him kept looking at him. Shalini said the school has not forced anyone to take part, however a day before yesterday, she had conducted a meeting with parents urging them to take part in the event. "There are 364 students in our school and we have not forced any one to take part. Participation is voluntary but most are eager to be the part of the human chain. We have called all the students at 10am in the school and after having the midday meal, they will move to the spot," said Shalini. Karan's father Shipahi Choudhary, who is a peon at the Aryabhatta Knowledge University, said he had no option but to be a part of the human chain. "The vice-chancellor of the university has put up a notice that everyone should take part in the human chain event. I cannot ignore the notice as I am just a peon," Choudhary said, adding that his son will also take part in the human chain. The students of Kedarnath Balika Ucch Vidyalaya at Yarpur were no different from the Rajkiye Adarsh Madhya Vidyalaya as they were also unaware of the literal meaning of prohibition except the poem. The principal of the school, Pratibha Chand Sinha, said for safety of the students, she had asked the parents to accompany their wards. Pratibha said no one has been forced to attend the event. An official of the education department had just left the school premises with the list of students who will be taking part in the event. People from different sections of society are planning to take part in the event. Mohammad Afzal Ansari, who runs a paan shop in Dujra near Rajapur Pul, said he will shut shop to take part in the event. "My son Mohammad Aanish Ansari and daughter Juguni Khatoon study in government schools and they have been asked to attend the human chain event at Gandhi Maidan. I have no other option but to close the shop to attend the event," he said. Manish Kumar Singh, who lives near Postal Park, said: "Instead of spending huge money on the chain, the chief minister should have tried to create jobs for us. The youth of Bihar are on verge of committing suicide but our CM is busy in publicity stunts." -The Telegraph, Calcutta