In dry Gujarat, hooch den proposes to make sanitizers

AHMEDABAD: Globally, optimists insist that Covid-19 pandemic, which has unleashed death and disease across the world, also presents unforeseen business opportunities. People of Chharanagar, a locality infamous as a hooch den, have decided to seize this chance to turn a new leaf in their lives by using their traditional skills in brewing country liquor to manufacture sanitizer.
In fact, Dakxinkumar Bajrange, social activist and member of Chhara community belonging to Denotified Tribe (DNT), has written a letter to the chief secretary of Gujarat Anil Mukim to help the community shun the illegal trade for good.
“My Chhara community is infamous for making traditional country made 100% herbal liquor (alcohol). As Gujarat is a dry state, it’s illegal to brew alcohol but in Covid-19 pandemic, alcohol has proved the most important thing to kill the virus on our hands... I think it's time to give a second thought for the use of my community's knowledge to brew herbal alcohol and save lives,” says the letter.
“If government can allow our community people to brew alcohol for next few weeks/months and supply it directly to the government or government-assigned agencies or private companies involved in manufacturing sanitizers, our community's knowledge can help save many lives,” says Bajrange, who has studied at University of Leeds on Ford Foundation fellowship.
The Chhara community has pitched that as herbal alcohol is made at home, social/physical distancing norms will be maintained and the raw material for sanitizers can be provided at much lower cost.
The Chharanagar locality in Kubernagar area here is home to some 15,000-odd people. Of these, some 250 families are involved in brewing country liquor. Due to this, police raids under prohibition laws are commonplace here.
Locals said that they use natural ingredients to brew liquor mainly using jaggery and yeast adding orange, cardamom and cumin seeds for flavour.
Aatish Indrekar, a local, said that this is a good opportunity for the government to rehabilitate the community. “If the government trains community members, they can turn a new leaf and start earning livelihood with dignity,” said Indrekar.