NEW DELHI : It is the third-biggest reason for road accidents in India, after over-speeding and lane indiscipline.
One-third of males and one-fourth of females in India who have made it a part of their lives say, in surveys, that it causes problems to their physical health, finances and household responsibilities.
But alcohol —the events of the past week have shown—is an intricate and essential part of the Indian economy. A strange dichotomy runs through the alcohol economy.
It won’t be owned, and it won’t be disowned. State governments, which often punctuate alcohol regulation with moral overtones, have no problem putting alcohol at the front of the queue in terms of priority in a moment of crisis.