Photo courtesy of www.flickr.com user gniliep
A friend just called to see what our plans for the weekend were. Then, he proceeded to announce, “today’s another dry day, isn’t it?” Huh? Another one! Surely not. What for this time?
A quick search of the Internet proved the friend was right. Not only that, I discovered that Mumbai will have no less than seven dry days during October. Put together, that’s one whole week of dry days. (For the blissfully ignorant, a dry day is where the sale of alcohol is banned at most places in the city. Five star hotels are usually excepted).
The most common cause of these infamous dry days is elections. People may otherwise get drunk and make a nuisance of themselves. Indeed, the national Lok Sabha election earlier this year produced four dry days in the city. Assembly elections are coming up later this month, so that will account for four of the seven dry days on October 11, 12, 13 and 22 — the run up to election day, the day of voting itself, and the day the votes are counted.
As for the rest of the dry days in Mumbai, we have:
- Gandhi ji’s birthday (October 2)
- End of “prohibition week” (October 8 )
- Ashadi Ekadashi religious festival (October 29)
End of prohibition week is the one that gets me the most. Prohibition week, which lasted from October 2-8 in Maharastra, was introduced to intensify the drive against alcohol consumption. According the former Director of Prohibition in Maharashtra, it didn’t work.
Why am I not surprised? I really fail to see the logic behind the idea in the first place. Surely, after a one week ban on alcohol, everyone would’ve been even more keen to have a drink! The bars must’ve been packed. And why has the government continued to ban alcohol on the last day of prohibition week? If the initiative didn’t work, why even keep one of the dry days? Don’t want everyone going out and getting drunk to celebrate the fact that prohibition week no longer exists?
Sigh. There goes my plans to have a nice dinner and bottle of wine at home with my husband tonight (we haven’t stocked up on alcohol).
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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Psssst- there is always the bootlegger ot a quick knock on the iron grill of janta bar. I have never understood “Dry Day’…the government decides wot cant drink…soon wil the government decide what we eat? Oh wait! there are some states where sale of certain meats is banned.
Very soon the darn government will also tell us certain days on which not to breathe, walk, run, jog, eat, laugh, cry! That should be fun!
Sharell, why haven’t you written anything about Karvachauth? I’ve never been to Maharashtra so I have no idea if they have the festival there or not.
Oh, I didn’t write about it because we don’t celebrate it in my family. We have a similar occasion, Orissa style. It’s called Sabitri Brata.
http://www.whiteindianhousewife.com/2009/05/celebrating-sabitri-brata/
Hahaha….Sharell there is one thing about your posts…everytime every post I read, I relate it to my life spent in India….I mean all my youth days (am still young LOL) jokes apart…I still remember how my friends used to crave for liquor on dry days and I used to smile at them saying guys…it’s okay….you don’t have to crave…open the stock hidden in ur wardrobes LMAO…yeah one of my friends collect international wines so he always has buffer….No matter how much govt tries or society prohibits, things will always be there this or that way. As is said, when a man has to go he has to go…same way when something is needed, it will be found no matter how and where…
To give an insight…liquor was(i think it might be still) banned in Haryana or at least Gurgaon area to be sold on shops u know liquor stores (theka). So there was a dhaba(small restaurant) that was on the border of delhi and gurgaon..he had food on Haryana side and liquor on Delhi side… LOL…see how smart he was
So…I need to know…I bought a special cognac for Ramit and Salonee at a local distillery here in Boston…I know it can’t go to Gujarat but I am now going Mumbai then to Delhi…am I going to have an issue? I will in be Mumbai until the 22 when I fly to Delhi. I’m starting to think I should just get myself a vat of vanilla bean ice cream and have at the cognac…yes, makes a great pour over van ic.
And Apoorv…yes you’re still a baby
Reenu: As long as it is packed well, there is no issue.
That is interesting I did not know that about the Dry Days I have heard the name before but never gave much thought to it. Kind of funny how we live in two different countries and ended up have the same proble with booze beging band at one point and time for the to only realzie that it did not work. I agree the way goverments are going they will tell us what we can and can’t do even in out own homes the rate things are going even here in the states. Good post Sharell I like it thanks for share with us. As for good drink fine some one who bootlegs it or next time stock up on it,
It does not matter that these dry day schemes don’t work. The idea is to show that something is being done however fitfully towards implementing total prohibition. The concept of drinking in moderation is a relatively recent one and historically, ‘demon rum’ has been considered a social evil to be forbidden and eradicated. Hence all the drama. Even the constitution asks governments to ‘bring about the prohibition of the consumption of intoxicating drinks’!
Wine shops/liquor stores are functional today (13th) from 5:30PM onwards. Not sure about pubs but I’ll find out tonight. Enjoy!
Now I really understand the tragedy of the dry day lol…but thank goodness for minibars! I had not realised while there that I could still be served as I have a foreign passport…although of course it would have been a little cruel to drink in front of friends who couldn’t. I have the name of a hotel now that will serve alcohol…no beer, but will serve spirits mixed with a soft drink.
Now I am really all prepared for my next trip (and oops keeping up image of the drink-dependent Australian…)
I dnt get it either. To the govt. drinking is evil. so the ads are banned and on days of any importance there’s a dry day imposed. SUCKS AS HELL! The hypocracy is in the fact tht if you think it’s tht bad and inauspicious to the people of the nation BAN IT!! but no. they dnt, cause it’s a huge source of revenue.
Do try to source some BHANG…might make the festival a bit more tolerable this time around in Mumbai. At all costs avoid hanging round the slums around the time.
Anywho in a country where getting high and disregard to laws and what the govt authorities have to say is very much part of our culture, find your source for those dry days tht slip out of your to-do list.
Btw, Happy Holi!
Happy Holi to you too Samir. I’ve had bhang on a few past occasions, and I don’t really like the way marijuana makes me feel. All dopey!
So funny that something illegal such as bhang is widely available on Holi, along with alcohol, yet these stupid dry days persist on other less significant occasions….