945 Should Incredible India be built on the foundation of booze? If we study this Times of India Article, it appears so!

Here is a link to an article in the TimesOfIndia Editorial Page, titled " 'Incredible India' hollowed out by court-ordered alcohol ban, just when India's dining scene was turning world class", author Mr. AmlinAli@Timesgroup.Com. Click here to go to TimesofIndia EditPage http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toi-edit-page/incredible-india-hollowed-out-by-court-ordered-alcohol-ban-just-when-indias-dining-scene-was-turning-world-class/. Published today, 6th Apr. 2017. I respect the Right of Freedom and Speech of Shri Amlin Ali, and the Times Group to air their views freely, frankly. Then, they have to permit me, to exercise my freedom of expression, and criticise it, within my limits and limitations. The Article gives an impression that India can attain a World Class Dining Scene only with booze. It also gives an impression that Incredible India has been hollowed out by the recent Supreme Court Judgement barring Liquor Shops and Bars on Highways and within 500 meters of Highways. The Supreme Court of India Judgement might have had an object of preventing accidents caused by drunken driving. This blogger ybrao-a-donkey personally believes that Supreme Court of India ought to have advised the State and Central Governments to design and implement Plans for Introduction of Prohibition on an intensive and extensive scale.

We shall start with some quotes from the Times of India Article, which are worth examining:--

TOI Article	Our views/perspective
A five star hotel was fully booked to host the top performers of a leading bank from across the globe. Their hosts’ plan was to showcase India as a premium luxury travel destination that boasted world class premises. A part of their stay involved a gala dinner where these executives could sample the finest selection of wines and enjoy a tour to a bustling food hub nearby.	Which is this Bank? Definitely, it must have been a Private Sector Bank. Even if it be a Public Sector Bank (PSB), it does not appear to be doing the right thing. What Banking has to do with boozing (Euphemism: Sample the finest selection of wines). Will India become a luxury travel destination only by offering booze? Doesn't India have anything else to offer to attract tourists? What is all this stuff "that boasted world class premises"? Did the TOI article writer borrowed this phrase from Mr. Nara Chandra Babu Naidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
The Indian hosts are wondering how to tell their foreign guests at the last moment that they have been ‘banned’ from serving alcohol. The hotel manager explains the word ban freaks out a lot of travellers and causes irreparable damage to an establishment’s reputation.	There is no bar on serving alcohol. Only thing is, it should be served at a place which is located 500 meters away from the Highway. Anyway, our Hotels, Bars, Wine Shops have the necessary INFLUENCE and CASH to bribe the officials for conveniently circumventing the 500 mts. distance. They can find loopholes in Govt. Orders, in such a way that every hotel/bar/wineshop is shown as have been relocated to places beyond 500 meters. What type of travellers are these, who cannot perform their journeys/tours without booze for a fortnight? Actually, they should be happy that they are getting an opportunity to stay away from booze at least during their tour, which pleasure/addiction/habit was haunting them since their adolescence, robbing their hard-earned monies, health, peace of mind, and above all their time to spend with their wife and children?
National Crime Records Bureau data of 2015 on road accidents shows that out of a total 4,64,674 road accidents that year, 7,061 or 1.5% were due to driving under influence (DUI) of drugs or alcohol. Dangerous or careless driving, overtaking etc was the reason for 31.4% of road accidents whereas speeding caused 43.7% accidents. This suggests that strict enforcement of existing traffic and road safety rules will curb accidents far better than closing down bars and restaurants.	Whoever has compiled these statistics, they do not appear to have done their homework properly. Careless driving, overtaking etc. numerous traits of dangerous driving also result when a drunken-driver loses control over himself.
Secondly, the judgment clubs liquor vends with bars and restaurants within and outside the hotel. A restaurant is a highly regulated space set up after going through various inspections and licensing. It is one legally permitted place where one can enjoy a drink responsibly with friends and family. Each of these spaces was established after a hefty licence fee and paid heavy taxes on every pint or peg sold.	Heavy incidence of taxes, licence fees does not justify the evil of alcoholism. The author of the article seems to be deliberately under-rating the evils of alcoholism. What are all these inspections carried out by Govt. Officials? What is this regulated space? They are all figments of imagination.
It is important to understand that most of the places paid a premium to set up shop in areas designated for hotels or food outlets by city planners. When many of these places came up, the roads may not have been national or state highways and may have just been city roads. As cities grew, many roads developed into arterial highways.	Bars and wine shops seem to pay high rents and premia to set up their businesses, because their business is very lucrative, as they thrive earning super profits, exploiting the weaknesses of innocent / feeble /addicted people.
A consideration in buying residential property nowadays is recreation options nearby. To suddenly be told that the bar across our residential society cannot serve liquor as the road has become a highway amounts to forcing a resident to drive further for his drink.	As far as my understanding goes, howsoever foolish it may be, residents of localities do not want bars / wine-shops in their area, as liquor shops and bars create serious law and order problems.
Bars, restaurants and hotels are a reflection of our evolution. They are signs of a booming economy and a cosmopolitan society. Any popular tourist destination boasts of a vibrant food and nightlife and strong law enforcement that gives a sense to security. India had a happening food scene, what was merely needed was to provide stronger security that implemented rules strictly.	What type of Evolution is this? Every alternate home in India today, we can find at least on drunkard who beats his mother/wife for money to buy liquor. Children with alcoholic fathers tend to be the worst sufferers in our society. Actually, Mahatma Gandhi dreamed of a State where there will be no need of any Government, and where there will be no need of Police. Every Citizen should naturally have a sense of security, without the presence of any Law Enforcement Agencies, strong or weak.
To suddenly order that our favourite places to unwind after a taxing working schedule are no longer permitted to serve us our hard earned drink is depriving us of simple joys of life. A vend will still pick up its makeshift structure and hop 500 metres away from its present location to sell liquor. But a bar that came up after huge investment and employed security guards, trained waiters and talented bartenders will simply have to shut shop, rendering them jobless and consumers without a safe drinking spot.	Loss of jobs and, unemployment cannot be an excuse for allowing Bars/Wineshops/Governments to rob people. If they want to rob citizens, better way will be to do it directly, at gun-point.
For me it is taking away the essence of my ‘Incredible India’ where i can enjoy the finest of food and alcohol in my city. An India where i have the freedom to party but also awareness of my responsibility and rules.	Most alcoholics start their lives with AWARENESS OF RESPONSIBILITIES AND RULES. But when the habit gets deep-rooted into their blood and veins, awareness of responsibilities and rules, will be replaced by helpless surrender to an irretrievable addiction.

To continue adding / deleting / modifying. सशेष. ఇంకా ఉంది.